Insert Witty Title Here
by Omoni
Summary: This story takes place after Raindrops and Fire Fury, but has no reference to Revolution. It takes a look at both the relic Lina stole from the town and the suspicious backfire of the spell in the library.
1. Obligatory First Chapter

Once upon a time, there was a school of salmon. These salmon were very fond of their little area of water they called their own. They were a very tight knit sort of salmon, the type that always stuck together through thick and thin. They always knew when one of their own went missing. It happened every so often, and it was sad.

Well, one day, one of the biggest salmon went missing. There was panic, for that one salmon was like a protector for the rest. The school was so confused; it gradually collapsed and became singular salmon among the rest, outcasts that were disliked by all.

But here is the real story that happened.

One day, the leader of the salmon, we'll call her Pita, was swimming along, getting read to head out like usual. Well, was Pita in for a surprise. Before she knew it, she was swept up out of her watery home, and not only that, she wasn't alone! She saw quite a few others that had been caught with her.

Well, that was weird enough, but it got worse. Soon, it was hard to breathe, and these weird non-scaly things were poking at her, which was annoying. She wasn't sure how long she was waiting there, surrounded by others, but soon she was lifted out of her weird prison and dumped into a wet box. She was relieved. There was water in there.

Her relief was short-lived, because Pita would soon face doom. For you see, the people who had caught her were fishermen for a very popular seafood restaurant. And, you see, they had so many orders to meet for their world-famous Salmon Delight that they didn't care who they caught as long as they were salmons.

So of course, sadly, Pita's story ends where this one begins. She was killed, gutted, and grilled to perfection, and she was served on a bed of delicious greens slathered in secret sauce. And then, in reply to much frustrated shrieking, Pita the salmon was served to a very starving sorceress who HAD to have everything her way, or else there was hell to pay.

"Finally!" Lina Inverse shouted, bashing the butts of her utensils down onto the table. Before the waiter had time to set the dish properly down, Lina was on it, shoveling the food into her mouth at full speed.

Gourry Gabriev sat across from her, eating his own dish. "Wow, this is amazing!" he declared.

Lina rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look up from her dish. "Of course it is!" she snapped between mouthfuls. "Of course, your judgment is hardly reliable, but at least this time you're right."

"Hey, what is that supposed to…" Gourry paused for just a second to ask this, but was immediately regretful when Lina darted forward and snatched some of his food right off his plate. "Give that back, Lina!" he cried, coming forward across the table.

Lina shoved it into her mouth with much emphasis, grinning the whole time. "Oops, too late, it's all – hey!" Lina slammed her fork down just in time, catching Gourry's between the tongs. "Watch what you're doing, there, buddy!" she snapped.

The battle of brawn was then fought out, to see who would crack first. Lina, unfortunately, cracked first, and Gourry stuffed his hard-earned salmon into his mouth. "Oh, so THAT'S why they call it Delightful!" he sang, grinning ear-to-ear at Lina.

"You're dead," she declared calmly. Without any other warning, she pounced forward on the table and managed to shovel in as much of his dish as she possible could without bursting.

And that, my friends, is how you eat salmon.

x x x

With the salmon gone and the dishes being cleared off, it was now time to prioritize and talk things through.

"Lina," Gourry said absently, picking at his teeth with his nails. "Is it your turn to pay for the rooms tonight or mine?"

"Yours, because you're grossing me out just by doing that," Lina said flatly, giving him a wilted expression of disgust.

Gourry sighed, giving her a stern look. "I paid last time."

"Yeah, and you also wasted our funds on crappy granola bars," she shot back, sticking out her tongue.

Gourry lunged forward to grab her tongue, but she laughed and pushed her chair away from the table, keeping just out of his reach. He grumbled, but then smiled, sitting back and crossing his arms.

"So, where did you want to head out to next?" he wondered, blinking slowly.

Lina frowned, giving it some serious thought. "I haven't really gone over it in my head yet," she admitted.

"Hm, yes, I get that way sometimes too," Gourry said, looking very serious. However, when Lina looked closer at him, he knew he had her baited, so he gave her a very blank smile and declared proudly, "but I always managed to forget!"

"That's saying the least!" Lina snorted. She stood up suddenly, tugging at her bangs. "I'm off to bed. You coming up soon?" she wondered casually, looking over at him.

Gourry blinked, then nodded. "Sure," he agreed, getting to his feet. It was rare that Lina even asked if he was going to bed at all, let alone soon. He wasn't so sure why it was such an issue for her.

Lina swallowed a little, nodding. "Good," she said softly; her whole demeanor had abruptly changed, he noticed.

It usually happened on nights like this, nights that were dark and late and allowed a person's mind to wander and speculate on things to come. It was then that Lina would give hints that she still wasn't completely okay and that sometimes, she felt vulnerable. It was definitely one of those times. She didn't feel like being alone; she needed company, and she needed quiet company.

Together, they went up, got ready, and decided to turn in a key for extra money, since they weren't going to use the spare room. A few weeks ago this would have been utterly uncalled for, but things had changed, and on nights like this, nights that Gourry knew were hard on Lina, it wasn't an issue anymore.

They didn't speak the whole night. They just slept side-by-side, cuddled up against each other in the single bed. Now, you would think that in a situation like that, when two people travel alone and have been together for as long as they have, some kid of naughty thing would occur, especially in a bed.

However, it wasn't the case. Yes, since they had recently become closer, there had been some kissing down the line, but that had been halted recently, and with understandable reasoning. Lina didn't want to explore into those realms yet. She wasn't ready for it. All she wanted was comfort, and Gourry knew this, and he was happy to oblige. Hell, as long as he was USEFUL, he felt better.

It had been two weeks since Lina and Gourry stumbled upon the dilapidated library, and a week and a half since they started out again on their normal travels. During the course of those days, Lina made it very clear that she wasn't quite okay yet, but she would be eventually. The day they ate Salmon Delight was quite possibly the most animated she had been throughout those slow days, even though sometimes, she regretted the slow-motion.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Lina woke up. She discovered that she was tangled up with Gourry in a mess of limbs of sheets, and it was not comfortable. Carefully, she untangled herself and sat up, pulling herself to the edge of the bed. She dangled her feet over the edge, resting her chin on her hands.

On nights like this, she was glad she was alive. She just felt good to be alive. She felt good that she had escaped all the things she had come across, and she had come on the other side, able to laugh about it.

She was lost in her thoughts. She wasn't ready to settle down, not yet, but sometimes she understood the allure of it all. Sometimes, she wanted to. She wondered what it would be like to be normal, or at least settled in one spot. But then, her desire to travel always overrode these feelings.

But then, she thought, I might not even get a chance to settle down. I might end up running out of chances, like I almost did. I might not be so lucky anymore…

"Mm, Lina?"

She started, then turned around. Gourry was blinking over at her, looking barely awake. "Go back to sleep, Gourry," she said softly, smiling at him.

Gourry shook his head, pushing his hair out of his eyes. He sat up and crawled over to her, resting a hand on her back gently. She closed her eyes halfly, feeling his warm touch through her pajamas. "You alright?" he asked, his voice quiet. When she looked over again, she saw that his eyes were clouded with worry instead of sleep.

Lina bit her lip, wanting to suddenly swat him off and hide somewhere in a corner. She didn't feel okay. She felt emotional, and it annoyed her. It always annoyed her when anyone around her became overly emotional. It was the same when it came to herself.

Gourry knew. He knew her like the back of his hand. He sat up and took her hand between his. She turned away, and he noticed her shoulders shaking a little. He tugged on her hand a little, trying to pull her back into bed. Lina growled at him a couple of times, but soon gave in, too eager for the comfort to fight for long.

Gourry curled up close to her, and Lina relaxed, for the first time since she woke up. She closed her eyes, thinking that of all the places she could feel like herself, truly herself, she never expected to ever be with someone else, especially in such an intimate matter.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Gourry said softly into her ear. She opened her eyes and looked up at him from the corner of one. He went on. "You don't have to act all tough with me."

"Maybe I didn't want to lie back down with you," Lina answered sulkily, a little annoyed that one of the rare times Gourry decided to insightful was one of the times she needed him to be oblivious.

"Don't be snobby," he chided lightly, and she made a face at him. "I'm trying to be the nice guy here."

"Well, don't," she answered, not really meaning it. Inside, she wanted him to keep asking until she cracked. That way, it would seem like she only offered the information because he kept asking, not because she needed to get it out.

It was one of the few games of hers that Gourry knew all too well. If it was any other time of the day, he wouldn't have bothered rising to the bait. However, because it was the middle of the night, and because Lina was rarely an insomniac, he asked her. She kept refusing, until finally, after the fourth try, she cracked.

"Okay," Lina began, keeping her back to him. She didn't like looking at him when she talked of things like this. "I just feel…sort of…out of my skin, you know?"

Gourry sounded fearful. "Like someone is trying to peel you?"

"No, Gourry," Lina rolled her eyes. "Like I'm inside out, like I'm not myself."

"Oh. I could have told you that. You didn't have to use such a gross analogy."

Lina decided to ignore that. "Lately, it feels like my luck is going to run out, and it scares me. I keep having these thoughts about settling down."

"Settling down?" Gourry echoed. "But, Lina, you're only 18. You have so many years ahead of you."

"I know," she sighed deeply, her body relaxing in one sweep of a movement. "But sometimes I wonder, when the worst happens, I think, 'is this it? Is this going to be the end?'"

"You're not going to die until you're too old to walk to the bathroom," Gourry answered. It sounded like he was teasing, but for some reason, it also sounded like he meant it. Either way, it made her smile, and some of her anxiety faded.

"Thank you," she replied. She reached behind her and patted him on the arm. "Thank you for being patient with me, and for always being there."

Gourry was quiet. It was rare when Lina said things like this. They both knew it. He felt like, when it happened, he should say something meaningful, something eloquent, but nothing came to his head. So, he started doing one thing to make his feelings clear to her, something he couldn't do until recently.

He looped his arms around her waist, tugged her close to him, and kissed her on the cheek, his lips lingering over her skin. She shut her eyes, sighing again, only this time because his gesture was pleasant. She moved back, so that she could squeeze herself as close as possible to him, and he retaliated, until they were both pressed up against eachother like overcooked noodles.

"Hey, Gourry," Lina whispered, keeping her eyes shut.

"Yes, Lina," he answered sleepily, already halfway into dreamland.

"I love you," she mumbled it, her hands pressed against her mouth. She didn't think he heard it, so she relaxed. It felt better to say it but to not be heard, because usually she felt awkward when she knew he heard her.

However, Gourry had heard her. "I love you too, Lina," he answered. She could practically hear the smile in his voice. She reddened, but didn't say anything, and he laughed softly. He reached up and starting stroking her hair, lazily. That was the last thing she remembered him doing before she fell asleep.

It was just as well. About ten seconds after she nodded off, he did the same. Sometimes, slumber can be synchronized.

x x x

When Lina awoke the next morning, she wasn't quite sure what to think.

She was lying on her side, like she had been before she went to sleep. Only this time, Gourry was much closer to her. MUCH closer. As in, pressed right up against her. She wouldn't have minded so much, if it weren't for two things:

One: His hands were clutching her chest. As in, full on cupping.

Two: She could feel something poking in her back, and she knew it wasn't any sort of armour.

"Gourry," she hissed, feeling both embarrassment and anger filling up in her. "Get off me NOW!"

A loud snore met her reply, and instead of moving away, he pushed his hips up closer; soon, she could hear him moaning softly.

She turned burning, bright red.

That was the last straw.

I'll save you the gruesome details. What I will say is this: There was a loud scream, the sound of many fists hitting flesh, and a loud, climatic thud. Following this thud, the door swung open, and Lina stormed out, carrying all of her things. She trudged to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, cursing out her rage.

Gourry, from the floor, blinked slowly, wondering what the hell had gotten him into such a situation.

But he didn't wonder for long. Slowly, gradually, he started laughing, lying there on the floor.

One would think he was crazy, just lying there like that, in a mess of sheets and pillows, after being thrown off the bed by an angry and embarrassed sorceress. But he wasn't. In fact, he felt this overwhelming sense of peace envelope him. For, in fact, that was the first time in days that Lina had shown a sign of being her regular fiery self. And it made him grateful to the bone.

(I could insert a naughty joke at the end of that sentence. But I think you have already done it for me.)

When Lina returned, all dressed (minus armour and other additions) with wet hair and a scowl on her face, Gourry was already dressed and brushing out his hair. He turned to greet her, but she glowered at him. He struggled, but failed, and couldn't help but snort out a giggle, one she definitely caught, and pounced on at once.

"Laughing at me, are you?" she snapped. She dropped the pajamas in her arms abruptly, turning to him. Instantly, she watched him pale, and inwardly she crowed with delight. She loved scaring the wits out of him.

"Er," Gourry began, holding up his hands. "It was an accident. I was just thinking about what happened, and it made me laugh, not you, really, YOU didn't make me laugh!"

And on he went, stammering like this, as Lina walked towards him slowly, keeping on her face a mask of fury. Inside, she wasn't really angry; she had gotten over her anger in the tub. Gourry was a guy, and being a guy, he was prone to having "morning arrivals". Now, she was just teasing, and the best part was that he hadn't clued in yet.

Once she reached about a foot away from him, he was cowering, his hands up. Indeed, for him, it was too early to be blackened to a crisp by a Fireball, especially on an empty stomach.

Instead, Lina reached out with one hand. He flinched, but suddenly, she grinned, a wide, mischievous grin. He opened his mouth to say something, but to his shock, she just put one finger on his nose, and trilled cheerfully, "BEEP!"

To the floor, Gourry went, a larger heap now than he had been before. Lina burst into victorious laughter, clutching her side from it all. The expression on his face, shock mixed with fear, had been so priceless, it was one she would never forget.

And then, before she knew it, his hands had seized her ankles, and she was yanked to the floor. She squeaked, her backside making contact with the hard wood. She cursed, lashing out with both hands, grabbing two fistfuls of blond hair. Without mercy, she yanked.

This time, Gourry was the one who cursed. Before he could squirm away, the yanking happened again, this time with a shout of triumph, and he saw stars.

Lina cackled again. She started to move away from him, tapping his hands at her ankles with her fingers, urging him to let go. However, instead, he just tightened his hold. She turned and shot a glare at him, but he pulled his head up, grinning.

Lina growled at him, but he just stared at her from the ground, nonplussed. She was sitting, and he was lying on his front, his hands on her ankles. She clutched at his hair, and he was grinning up at her with mischief. It made a very interesting sight.

"Gourry," she said calmly, "let go of my ankles. Or else I'll make a belt out of the hair that I yank from your skull."

Gourry did something that made her both very mad and very amused. He pouted. "Why should I?" he demanded. "I want to spend some time with you before we leave today."

Lina rolled her eyes. "That is what breakfast is for."

"Oh, come on," Gourry grumbled, propping himself up on his elbows. Despite this, he still held onto her ankles tight. "I thought, because of last night—"

"I don't want to talk about that," she snapped suddenly, the playfulness leaving her eyes suddenly. It wasn't personal, really; she just didn't want to talk about unpleasant, personal things during the day. That was what night was for. At least, in her opinion, it was. She always got her best thoughts sorted out at night, which was why it was often hard for her to fall asleep, or wake up once she was asleep.

Gourry, however, made a face. He knew that was how she operated and he wouldn't dare breeching her shields without leave. "I wasn't going to say anything about that," he answered. "What I meant was, because of that, and because of this morning, I thought you were feeling better, so I thought…"

"Uh huh," Lina mumbled, her expression unimpressed.

Gourry grinned up at her, and for a moment she was overtaken by a flutter of erratic heartbeats. He jumped up, unclasped her ankles, and grabbed her into a tight hug, pulling her to him close.

Lina still held his hair in her hands. She was tempted to use this to her advantage. Instinct dictated that she punish him for violating her space. Normally, she would have done so, and would have found herself in an hour making a nice belt out of gold hair.

However, something forbidden inside her wanted to hug him back, to pull him close, to drag him to the bed and curl up under the sheets and kiss him till they both became stupid from hunger.

Instead, she didn't do anything. She found herself frozen between two uncertainties. She wasn't sure what to do, so she just sat there, stiff like a statue in his arms, her jaw set.

Gourry, however, misunderstood. He took her silence and reaction as a silent warning, and abruptly he let go. Lina suddenly let go of his hair, looking puzzled and a little hurt, but she didn't move. Instead, she flicked her eyes upwards, and her gaze met his.

"Sorry," Gourry mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "I just…I missed you, I missed how we were before, and I liked it, and it made me happy, so I just overreacted. Sorry…"

Lina shook her head suddenly, emphatically, as if shaking away his babblings. "No, Gourry, it's fine!" she said, her voice louder than she had intended. Gourry blinked at her slowly, and she reddened, feeling like an idiot. "I, uh, I just…I'm still…"

Instantly, Gourry nodded, his face softening. He reached forward with one hand, touching her cheek lightly with his fingertips. Her heart sped up, and she shut her eyes, leaning towards his hand. She let the shields down for that one moment, and it felt wonderful.

Gourry felt his heart ache at the sight of her reaction to his touch. It made him want to wrap her in a blanket and make sure she was warm. "Lina?" he said softly.

She nodded against his hand, her eyes still closed.

"Lina," he said again, his voice quieter. She opened her eyes halfly, and she saw that he looked serious. She blinked at him. "Yes?"

"I, um…" He stumbled over his words, hesitating. The last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with her again, because this time, he knew it would be a real fight, not one that was just for kicks.

Lina swallowed, her face turning a darker shade of red. He saw it in her eyes, and he regretted it. The shields were back up once more. Slowly, she pulled away from his hand. He opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head. Slowly, she got up to her feet. He followed, but his body felt like lead.

"Let's go downstairs and grab something to eat," Lina said, trying to sound upbeat. Inside, she felt like she had just screwed up the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to really make things different.

She didn't want to look at him yet; she felt too stupid. Hadn't the past few weeks taught her anything about herself? Anything at all? That she shouldn't be so closed up and afraid anymore?

Maybe not. Maybe she hadn't changed at all.

She turned to walk away from him, but he did something that surprised them both. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back. She stumbled, caught of balanced, but he held her steady, and before she knew it, they were barely an inch apart. He had his arm around her shoulders, the other arm around her waist. She went red again, and a part of her wished that she could control that part of her instincts.

She froze, and he froze, and they just stared at each other, momentarily confused.

"Lina," Gourry said again, this time with a firm voice. She blinked, not used to hearing that tone from him. Sure, she had heard it, but only when there was a Mazoku, or if she had just eaten the best part of a dish of his. When she searched his eyes, she saw no hint of play there, and she gulped, a little nervous.

"Lina," he then smiled, and the anxiety was lifted from her. "You need to relax. It's just me. I would never hurt you. And you can be yourself around me. Always."

"I am always myself," she answered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No, you always hide, pretending I'm too stupid to notice," he shot back, a glint of amusement in his eyes. It irked her to think that all of these years, when she was sure he was stupid, that maybe, just maybe, he was pulling the curtain over her eyes to amuse himself.

She went on the offence. "You are!"

"Maybe on some things, but when it comes down it, I know certain things," he admitted, smiling at her in such a way that she wanted to either beat him up or hide under his shirt. "Like feelings. Like how I feel for you. Like how I know you feel for me."

Lina didn't say anything. She kept her head down, too embarrassed to look at him. Soon, she felt his hand under her chin, and she blinked, looking up. He opened his mouth, but suddenly she blurted out, "I don't want things to change,"

He blinked, bemused by this. "What?"

Taking advantage of this, she slid out of his grasp. "I don't want things to change between us," she repeated.

He shrugged. "You can't change the irreversible," he answered.

He had a point. "Okay," Lina agreed. "But I'm not the kind of girl that gets swept away in emotions."

"Yes you are. I've seen you swept away in anger, hate, greed—"

"I mean fluffy emotions!" Lina snapped. "I mean, all misty-eyed and pathetic and—"

"But you were just like that a second ago, when I held you in my arms," he answered plainly.

"Aaaaaugh!" Tugging at her hair, Lina wheeled away from him and squeezed her eyes shut with frustration. He wasn't getting it! Didn't he understand anything? She didn't want things to change so much that everything would be different. Didn't he understand that the reason she was so comfortable was that because nothing had really changed?

She was about to start pulling her hair out, when she felt his hands on top of hers. She froze, and gently, he started pulling her hands away from her hair. She relented, her anger dying out quickly. Slowly, she stepped back, and he slid his arms around her waist.

They didn't say a word; they just stood there for a moment, back to front, quiet. Both were staring ahead, thinking deeply about each other, not wanting to make a move quite yet.

However, it was Gourry who broke the silence. "Lina," he said softly, leaning down and saying it into her ear. "I know what you mean, okay?"

She swallowed, looking right into his eyes. She could see that this was true; the clarity was there. And she was grateful; after all, it was something she found she couldn't put into words. But he still knew and understood her. It was something priceless, something she couldn't put a value to.

Slowly, she nodded. "Okay," she agreed, meaning it.

Gourry pulled away and grabbed onto her hand. She blinked, but he started dragging her towards the door. "I'm starving!" he declared. "Let's GO!"

She smiled, nodding. "Okay," she agreed, "but you're paying!" And she ran, before he could even argue with her.

x x x

"So, Lina, you never did tell me what that thing was that you stole from that town ages ago."

Lina looked up from her dish, surprised. "Hey, you're right, I didn't. We got so busy after that that I didn't even have a chance to talk about it."

"So you don't know?" Gourry asked between mouthfuls of bread.

"Not really," she agreed, attacking her own bread. "I just stole it and ran. I knew it had value. I'm just not sure how much yet."

"Don't you think you should find out?"

"Not right now. Maybe later…Gourry! That's MINE!

"I took it so you would show me what you stole!"

"I didn't steal it!" she snapped. "It fell out when something mysteriously blew it up!"

Gourry stared at her, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Lina sighed, rolling her eyes. "Okay, okay, FINE," she mumbled. She dropped her fork and knife and reached into her shirt. When she noticed Gourry was watching, she growled and turned her chair so that he wouldn't see. Something about the way he stared made her uncomfortable.

When she turned back, she held in her hand a necklace. It was still around her neck, but she held the bauble of it in her hand. Gourry whistled in appreciation. It hung on a fine silver chain, and it was held to the chain with a silver base, the base shaped like an open flower. Nestled in the heart of the flower was a solid, bright-white orb, as smooth as the flattest surface. When Gourry looked closer, it looked as if something was MOVING inside the round, egg-shaped jewel, like smoke. It made his eyes hurt.

"Linaaaa," he groaned, putting a hand on his head. "It's moving!"

She nodded, replacing the stone under her shirt. "I know," she agreed, putting her chin on her hand. "I can't figure it out. I study it whenever I get a chance, but the only thing significant about it is that it moves, and it gives off an unusual amount of magic."

"Why is it unusual?" Gourry wondered, resuming his eating.

"It's too much for such a small trinket," she replied, picking at her dish with her fork. "I can't think of how so much power is packed into such a small little jewel. No matter how many times I study it, it won't tell me its secrets."

"That sure is weird!" Gourry agreed, his mouth full.

"'Weird' is an understatement," she sighed. "Bit I figure, since it was found in this region, someone around here is bound to know what it is. That's why I was thinking that today we could hit the road and talk to some of the magic store owners. What do you think?'

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me," he said.

"Well," Lina said carefully, holding out a hand. "Do you mind?"

Gourry blinked up at her, his mouth still full. "Since when has it mattered?" he wondered, sounding confused.

"It's always mattered!" Lina snapped back, baring her teeth. "I just forget to ask sometimes!"

"All the time," Gourry answered, smiling faintly.

"Oh, shut up and answer!" Lina growled, growing impatient.

He shrugged again. "It honestly doesn't matter to me. As long as you don't ditch me, I'm fine with it."

Lina smiled a little, her anger disappearing. "No, I won't ditch you," she agreed. Then she grinned. "Since when has that mattered?" she teased.

"Pah," Gourry waved his fork at her. "It's always mattered. I just forget to ask sometimes."

"All the time," Lina winked.

"Indeed," Gourry raised an eyebrow.

Lina felt a nice warm bubble of happiness settle itself in her stomach. This was the kind of thing she enjoyed when she was with Gourry, the banter and the teasing. She was glad that at least that had stayed the same.

"Hurry up and finish," Lina mumbled, lowering her head to hide the blush that she felt creeping into her cheeks.

Gourry, however, hadn't noticed. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Lina," he blinked, "if you don't know what that thing is, are you sure you should be wearing it?"

Lina frowned. That was a good question. "Well, I've been wearing it for a few days and nothing bad has happened," she admitted, chewing on her lip. "If something bad was to happen it would have done so by now, don't you think?"

"I guess so," he agreed. "You're the expert."

"Indeed I am," she agreed, "so I know best!"

"Uh-huh," Gourry shot back.

"Oh, shut up and let's go." She said it sternly, but she was smiling.


	2. Books and Necklaces

The chimes above the door clanged annoyingly as Lina walked into the small, hole-in-the-wall magic shop. It was so small, Gourry had to duck to get through the doorway, although that was discovered by trial and error. Rubbing his head gingerly, Gourry followed Lina closely as she walked in, all business already. Magic shops tended to make him either too confused to talk or too nervous to move.

Lina, however, was right in her element. Right away she could tell that despite its lack of interior, it certainly was top-of-the-line. It was even good enough to have a tourist section and a serious section. She headed straight for the serious section, intent on replenishing her dwindling supplies, and maybe getting a few new books as well. One can never keep up on an ever-changing craft, can they?

"Liiinaa…" Gourry said softly over her shoulder and into her ear. She shot a brief look at him from the book she was examining before returning her eyes to it. "Lina, I thought you were just here to get that necklace checked out."

In perfect honesty, she had actually forgotten about it. Magic shops had the tendency to do that to her. All of the new things in front of her set her mind working furiously, thinking about the many ways she could apply each item and make them into new spells or items.

"Just a second, Gourry," she said absently, thumbing through the pages of the book in her hands. It seemed like a good reference book more than anything else. She was hoping for something a little more advanced, but a new and updated reference book wasn't something to sneeze at either.

While she was pondering purchasing it, Gourry was getting edgy. Today his mood was nervous; the place was much too small and he was much too big for it. He stuck close to Lina, taking comfort in the fact that she knew what she was dealing with, and also, because she was warm and nice to stick close to.

Lina was fine with Gourry sticking around close to her. She also found that he was warm, and it was pleasant to have him close by. He didn't touch her, which was a comfort, because he knew very well that, in public, violating her space was not a good idea. But he was close enough for her to enjoy it.

That was, of course, until he started poking her.

"Lina," he mumbled. "Can you hurry up? I keep thinking every time I exhale, I'll knock something over!"

"Stop breathing then!" she snapped, finally deciding that she WAS going to buy the book after all. She clutched it to her chest, looking over the rest of the books to see if she needed any others.

Gourry sighed. "That's hardly a solution, Lina," he declared, like SHE was the stupid one.

"Oh," a voice called suddenly, startling the both of them. "I hadn't realized anyone came in."

Both swordsman and sorceress looked up and saw a grizzled, teetering old man, looking as if he was on his last legs. His hair was white, as was his beard, and he was balding. He wore plain brown robes. It was his eyes, however, that destroyed the deception. Anyone in the world that had a connection to magic would instantly know that this man was NOT as feeble as he wanted you to think.

Lina blinked slowly, then smiled. She sensed a challenge in this man. He had power, and she knew it. He also had strong will, stronger than most of the merchants she met in the towns she had breezed through over the years. She knew he would be a hard man to haggle with.

"Yeah, we just came in," she said, nonchalant. "Just looking around."

Her words were met with a hard shove on her back, and she turned around to see Gourry looking annoyed and nervous, all at once. "Lina!" he moaned. "Come on! The guy is here; let's just get the necklace looked over and be done with it!"

"Gourry," she hissed, shooting a deadly glare right into his eyes. "If you don't like it here, you can leave!" The last thing she needed was his nervousness spoiling her chances at scoring a good deal.

Gourry looked offended all of a sudden. "Lina, I don't want to leave," he said softly.

"Then shut up!" She snapped. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but she was getting annoyed with him. He seemed to always have that effect on her when she needed it the least (although, honestly, who ever needs to be annoyed?).

Gourry sighed, the sound letting Lina know that he was offended and that it was her fault, but that he wasn't going to bother getting into it with her any further. Sometimes, he just didn't understand her, no matter how hard he tried. The times that he thought he had her all figured out, she went and proved him wrong.

Lina was ignoring him now. She turned to the old man and held out the book. "How much?" she said flatly, holding it like it was something smelly.

"20," the man replied.

"20 what?" Lina shot back, not at all falling for this common ploy.

"20 gold," the man smiled. He had only three teeth.

"Whaaat!" Lina cried, waving the book at him. "20 GOLD? You have got to be kidding me! This book smells like what a cat throws up! Not to mention it's just a grimoire and not an actual spell book. 5 gold!"

The man snorted. "Do you take me for some kind of fool, little lady?" he wondered. "That book has some of the most useful information in this region of the continent. Selling it to you for that cheap would be cheating me."

"I'm sorry, did you write this book?" she answered, her eyes alight with close victory.

She nailed him. He looked caught off guard. "Well, no, but…"

"Did you BUY it from someone?"

"No, I actually found it…"

"Then it's hardly cheating you, is it?"

She stared at him. He glared back at her. She could tell he wished death on her, in many different ways. "15," he growled.

"10," she replied. She opened up the book near the middle. "Some of the pages here are missing, ripped out. It looks as if someone had tampered with it. Maybe that someone should have thought twice before setting it up to sell, instead of vandalizing it and then selling it at such a rip-off price."

He twitched. "10, then."

Lina grinned, very close to crowing on the spot. She dug the money out of her purse and handed it over to him before he could change his mind.

Gourry watched all of this from the corner of his eye. It was interesting, and a little scary, to watch Lina depreciate the value of self-esteem in most people, especially merchants. It wasn't as surprising as it used to be; Lina knew how to handle merchants because she was a merchant herself, or at least her blood was.

However, he knew that Lina's gift was a blessing in disguise of a flaw. Because of her haggling skills, the two of them got good deals throughout their travels, and managed to save much more money than they would have without them. She knew this, and he knew this, and therefore, it was never discussed. On the contrary, Gourry hoped that she kept getting better at it, so that someday, if they ever decided they would settle down together, she would be able to find a nice house and beat the price down to pennies.

But he was thinking too far ahead of himself. It wasn't that he wanted to settle down quite yet, although sometimes a part of him was eager for it. It was just that time spent with Lina was so enjoyable, he couldn't see himself spending time with anyone else. If anyone else was in the picture, she was still there at his side with them.

Strange how things turn out. She started out as a thorn in his side, and ended up being….well, perhaps not a dream come true, but a challenge, one he was eager to face every day.

Lina turned to the old man again, smiling. "One more thing," she began, and she noticed happily that he paled. She reached under her shirt and pulled off the necklace, keeping firm hold on the chain. She held it out in front of him. "Do you have any idea what this is?" She asked.

The old man took hold on the orb and glanced at it closely, his eyes narrowing. She stared at him closely, and saw that he was indeed deep in thought. She saw no recognition, however, and that disappointed her.

"This is quite a magnificent jewel," he finally declared, without a hint of levity. "Where did you find such a piece?"

Lina balked at this. "Uh…" she stammered, "I found it somewhere. Underground. Far away."

Gourry snorted behind her, and she turned and shot him a glare. He smirked but turned away. The old man blinked a few times, but seemed satisfied with her story.

"In all of my years, I have never seen such an interesting piece," he admitted, his eyes following the orb.

Lina knew that look all too well. She yanked the necklace back and replaced it around her neck, tucking it under her shirt again. "So you haven't any idea what it could be?"

The old man nodded. "Not a clue."

"Damn," Lina muttered. She had actually thought it would take only one shop to figure out the mystery of the necklace. "Guess we keep looking then." She turned to Gourry and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Let's go! Thanks for the book!"

She dragged him out of the shop before he even had any time to adjust to the idea, but he didn't mind. The smell in there from the herbs was starting to get to his head, anyways. Once they were out of the store, Lina let loose a huge sigh that pretty much let Gourry know how disappointed she was.

"Well," she said, proving him right, "we have to keep looking. Are you game?"

He shrugged. "Where you go, I go," he replied, smiling.

She punched him on his shoulder, feeling her cheeks redden a little. "When are you gonna stop saying that?" she demanded.

He smiled wider. "When you realize it's the truth."

"Hmph," she answered. "Stop being so insightful."

Gourry decided that now was the time to be as unorthodox as possible. He swooped down to her height and gave her a light kiss on her nose. She blinked, her cheeks going redder, but she didn't hit him like she usually would have. Instead, she gave him a sly look. "Don't think I've forgiven you," she replied.

"Forgiven me for what?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"For being so forward!" she burst out. "For saying whatever you want without thinking of how I feel about it!"

Gourry tilted his head to one side, blinking at her. "What makes you think I don't think about how it makes you feel?"

Lina opened her mouth, then blinked hard. "Eh?" she stammered, thrown off guard.

"What makes you think that I don't think about how what I say makes you feel? What if I say these things because I like how you react to them? And because I know you'll be flustered?"

Lina glared at him. "Because I know you're not clever enough for such duplicity," she replied.

Gourry paused, considering. Then he nodded slowly. "Yup, you have me there!" he replied, smiling brightly.

Lina smacked a hand on her forehead, shutting her eyes. Secretly, she wondered if Gourry, in fact, was capable of such duplicity. There was no way that he could he as stupid as he liked to make everyone think. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to be as great a swordsman as he was.

"Well, whatever," Lina said finally. She turned back to Gourry and saw that already he was distracted by something else. She rolled her eyes and started walking back towards the inn, eager to pack up and start traveling again.

Gourry, however, wasn't just distracted by anything. He was distracted by something in the window of a shop. He pressed his hands on the glass, staring, trying to get a closer look.

Inside, he felt disbelief. There was no way, no way all, that what he was staring at was reality. But it was RIGHT THERE in front of his eyes, and there was no denying it.

Lina frowned, noticing that Gourry wasn't following her. She doubled back and walked over to his side, noticing that he was either stuck to the glass or trying to out-stare someone on the other side of the window. Either way, it made her feel impatient.

"Gourry," she said, poking his shoulder. "Come on, we should start heading out before lunchtime."

Gourry didn't answer her. He just kept staring.

Lina sighed in exasperation, then moved over and joined his side, looking in through the window. "I don't understand what could possibly distract you so much that you would ignore me—AH!"

She stopped speaking. Her words just dried up in her throat. She, too, pressed her hands up against the glass, trying to see it as close as she could.

Hanging in the window, displayed pristinely on a rack, was something that looked, to every single small detail, exactly, like the Sword of Light.


	3. Seeing Double

Once upon a time there were a bunch of people who traipsed over the continents like ants would over a really moldy lollie. These people liked to beat up other people, steal their goods (because they deserved it) and buy more things that were needed along the way.

These people included a fiery smartass sorceress, a melancholy shaman chimera, a crazy magic-using princess, and a slow but strong swordsman.

One day they were walking along and they were once again thrown into a bunch of situations that inevitably, if not remedied, would result in the end of the world. You know, all in a day's work.

Well, in order to save the world, the swordsman had to give up his kickass sword, one that he was famous for, because, well, technically it wasn't his. Who the hell knows how his family got a hold of it. If he knew, he sure didn't remember. Anyway, so he gave it away, and therefore, he didn't have it anymore.

This sword was the legendary Sword of Light.

Now, ever since, this said swordsman had been using a pretty decent, but most certainly not as cool, sword that was given to him by a bunch of old and scary actors. It was a minor detail, one that he was sure really didn't mean the end of his fun. However, he sometimes sorely missed the sword he had given up.

Now, in case you're an idiot, I'm of course talking about Gourry, here. He, of all of the people in the world, would know the Sword of Light from afar, just like I would know the smell of pumpkin pie from afar. Which is why a chance look had stopped him in his track, and a closer look sent him into spell bounded-ness.

Lina, of course, was also quite sore about the loss of her chance at having the Sword of Light (I mean, surely Gourry had to kick the bucket someday…). Now that it was in the hands of the Gods, there was no way she would ever get it now. So she, too, was mystified at the sword in the window, one that looked so close to the original in every detail that she was momentarily brain-dead.

"Huphujuh…" she said in disbelief, her eyes wide.

Gourry nodded in agreement, his eyes starting to water from staring too long at it.

"That's…that's…" Lina stammered, jabbing at the window with her finger.

"Yup," Gourry nodded.

"That's the freaking Sword of Light!" she cried.

"It sure looks like it," Gourry agreed.

"We have to buy it!" Lina exclaimed, pushing herself away from the window. She dug into her cape's many pockets and pulled out her coin purse. "We have to freaking buy it, Gourry!"

Gourry frowned, still staring at it. "I don't think it's mine," he answered.

"Don't be stupid!" Lina snapped. "Of course it's not yours; I haven't bought it yet!" She turned on her heel and started towards the store.

Gourry grabbed onto her cape and stopped her from going in. She growled, but he answered, "What I mean is, that can't be mine. Siri-what's-his-name took mine, remember?"

Lina rolled her eyes, tugging her cape free from his hands. "I know he did," she answered. "But look at it, Gourry! Look at it and tell me that THAT is not the Sword of Light."

Gourry sighed, realizing she had a point. "I can't," he replied. "It looks so much like my old sword."

"Then come in with me, and we'll buy it. That way, we can be absolutely positive that it's not yours. And hey, if we are wrong, well, we have a new sword for you!" Lina clapped her hands together once, then grabbed Gourry's hand and dragged him behind her into the store. There was no point in his protesting, for he knew she would just ignore him, anyways.

When they got in, Lina was immediately drawn to the display case, which housed the eerie look-alike. Gourry, too, was split seconds behind her, and they did a lot of staring before they caught then attention of the store owner.

"Uh," the two heard the voice call, "do you mind not smudging the glass?"

Lina turned around quicker than even Gourry could follow and glared at the owner, who balked and backed up hurriedly in fright. "Er…!" she cried, her face going bright red.

Lina cut her off. "Where did you get that?" she demanded, her eyes boring into the owner's.

The poor girl blinked hard, trying to regain composure from Lina's assault. Lina had that affect on people. "The, er…?

Lina glared at the owner. It wasn't fair. The owner was taller than Lina. Why did that always happen?

Gourry decided to chime in, lest Lina decided to blow up the place. "The sword in the window," he said.

The owner blinked again. "Oh! That thing. It's not a sword."

Both Gourry and Lina blinked in surprise. "It's not?" Lina demanded. "Then what the hell is it? It has a hilt and a scabbard and everything!"

"Truth be told," the girl said, calm now that her life seemed to safe for the moment, "I'm not completely sure what that thing is. I can't even open it."

"You what?" Lina repeated, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"I can't open it," the owner replied, shrugging.

Lina turned to stare at Gourry, who was already staring at her in shock. She couldn't open it? So why would she even have it on sale to begin with? Did she not know what she was dealing with?

In all of her years with the trial and error of magic, Lina had learned that sometimes, when something doesn't work, it's not meant to. Or worse, when something shouldn't work and it does anyway, maybe it was better to not even try to begin with.

It was even the same with Gourry, who had trained with his sword for years and years before he got as good as he was, and that took a lot of time and effort to do so. He had learned that some moves aren't worth vying for, and if they can't be done, then it's best to leave them alone.

Bottom line: When something doesn't open normally, chances are, there's a reason for it.

Lina turned back to the owner, and very calmly, said, "Why are you selling it?"

The owner shrugged. "It's useless," she admitted. "I might as well make a buck off of it from some collector."

Lina turned away from the owner without another word and dragged Gourry to the far side of the store, much to the poor girl's confusion. She grabbed onto Gourry's ear and dragged him down to her height, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

"What do you make of it?" she hissed. "Do you think it could be yours?"

Gourry winced. "I don't want to get my hopes up," he admitted, "but it's pretty damn unlikely."

"But it won't open," Lina pointed out.

"So?" Gourry replied, already looking confused.

"So, think about it," she said slowly, so that she wouldn't have to explain it again. "Sirius took the weapons so that there wouldn't be a risk of summoning Dark Star ever again."

"Plus, they were the Gods's," Gourry replied.

"Okay, true, but what better way to ensure that the Dark Lord of your world stays put than to plant the sealed keys around another world?"

Gourry's eyes focused suddenly. "Oh," he said plainly. "So you think it's mine, but it's just sealed, so that no one will use it."

Lina was impressed. "Good job, Gourry, you got it in one try," she smiled, letting go of his ear. He rubbed the side of his head gingerly, but he secretly took the praise to heart. Sometimes, praise from Lina was rare, even if she didn't mean for it to be.

"In any case," Lina continued, crossing her arms, "we have to find out where she found it."

"Do you think she'll tell us?" Gourry asked softly, glancing at the owner, who was staring at the two of them with a frown.

"She's already blabbed her biggest secret about the thing; I don't think she'll keep the rest from us," Lina replied.

Gourry shrugged, and followed Lina's lead back to the storeowner. Already she was looking nervous, but Lina decided to ignore it and get straight to the point. "So where did you find it?" she asked.

The girl started fidgeting. "Are you going to get me in trouble or something?"

Lina blinked, then shook her head. "No, idiot," she snapped, getting impatient. "We want to buy it, and we want to know what we're getting into."

The girl bristled at the 'idiot' remark, but kept her cool. "You want to buy it, even though you know it can't be opened?"

"I'm a collector," Lina bluffed quickly. "Where did you find it?"

She shrugged. "Just up north. I was actually looking for some ore, and ended up tripping over the hilt of the thing instead."

Gourry and Lina exchanged glances. It definitely sounded as if the sword had been buried, so that it wouldn't be found. But why would it be buried so close to the ground? That seemed to be too careless and stupid for Sirius.

"How much?" Lina finally asked.

"50 gold," the girl replied.

Lina started for the ground, and Gourry had to catch her before she made a nice face-imprint on the floor. "FIFTY GOLD!" she repeated in disbelief. "For a sword that doesn't even OPEN!"

"Yeah, that's the cost of a regular sword," Gourry piped in quietly.

"Even then, it's still a rip-off!" Lina declared.

"You're deluded," the girl snapped. "It's obviously not a normal sword, stuck or not. I would be an idiot to sell it any less than that."

Lina opened her mouth to protest, or perhaps verbally eviscerate her, but Gourry leaned in close and said softly, "Lina I really think we should just pay it. I really want to have that sword."

She frowned, but looked closely into his face, and saw that what he said was true. It was important to the both of them that they get down to the bottom of this mystery; that much was true. But, she thought, it was more important to Gourry, simply because it had been an heirloom, something from his history, something he was proud of. If she had the means to get something like that back, who was she to stop it?

"Okay," she said softly to him. It was a tone that she would only use with him, and he knew it, even if she didn't. He was grateful for it.

The moment was gone in a second, when Lina turned back to the girl, but he knew it had been there, and that was all that counted. Grudgingly, she grabbed her purse, counted out the coins, and almost threw them at the girl. Without a word, the girl pocketed them, walked to the display window, and carefully, she extracted the sword from its case.

"There you go," she said. "Have fun trying to figure it out."

Lina grabbed it, then stopped, blinking in shock. When she touched it, a surge of…something….ran up her arms, like tingling. It burned a little, but it wasn't painful. She froze, unsure of what to do or say.

What WAS this thing?

"Lina?"

Gourry's voice snapped her out of her shocked reverie. "Let's go," she said curtly, turning on her heel and marching out the door. Gourry shrugged and followed, not quite sure what was going on inside of that head of hers.

Once they were outside, Lina hesitated, looking at the sword with a frown. Then, without a word, she held it out to Gourry. He blinked at her, confused.

"It's yours, you know," she said. "As much as I would like to keep it for myself, it is yours."

Gourry stared at her in complete shock. This wasn't like her. The real Lina he knew would be hiding the sword in her cloak already, cackling.

"What's the catch?" he asked bluntly.

Lina growled, her eye twitching. "There is no catch, you jerk! I just want you to have the sword!"

Gourry crossed his arms over his chest. "Who are you, and where is the real Lina?"

She kicked him, hard, in both shins.

"Ah, there she is," he answered, hopping around her with pain.

"Take the sword!" she shrieked.

He took it, and she watched him closely. His expression changed, and he blinked, looking down at his hand and arm.

"Aha," she said softly. "You felt it too, huh?"

Gourry stared at her in disbelief. "I knew there was a catch!" he declared, switching the sword to his other hand. He flexed the other, trying to get feeling back into his fingers.

"Not really," she replied breezily. "I realty do think the sword is yours by right. I just also wanted to see what happened to you, too."

"And what have you concluded?" Gourry asked sulkily, glaring at the sword, as if the whole situation was personal.

"Nothing, yet," she admitted. "How does it feel? Does it feel like your sword?"

He glanced at it, swinging it by the hilt slowly, even with the scabbard still on. "Yes," he said, his voice soft with shock.

"Gourry, what if you used the needle and tried to make the hilt come out? Like you used to do before calling the blade?" Lina said, the thought suddenly coming to her.

"You think I didn't try already in the store?" he replied, frowning.

Lina blinked. "Gourry, you surprise me with your sneakiness! When did you try it?"

Gourry shrugged. "When you were busy grilling the poor girl about it. It didn't work."

Lina grumbled. "Damn. We'll have to find some way to get it open. Then we can figure out for sure whether or not it's the real one."

"Lina?" Gourry said her name quietly, and when she looked over, she saw that his expression was very serious. She nodded, coming closer to him. "I really think it's the real thing," he said, sounding haunted by the very idea of it."

Lina patted his arm lightly, not to patronize him, but to comfort him. It was hard to tell the difference between the two, but Gourry felt that the changes were made only when it came to him. "I know you do, Gourry," she admitted, her eyes dark with thought. "But it doesn't do us much good if we can't even open it."

"What do you think we should do?" he asked.

"I think we should get to somewhere private. Once we do that, I want to try a few things."

Gourry agreed, and the two of them set off together, both unable to shake the feeling that things were about to become hectic again.


	4. Playing with Shiny Things

If you're a merchant's daughter, than you know that you cannot, in any circumstances, afford to have any type of claustrophobia. The type of profession you have grown up in just isn't accustomed to handle such a thing.

Lina was raised with this fact. She had been told it even before she was old enough to comprehend words. Despite this and despite the fact that she knew that someday she may want to become a merchant full-time again, she sometimes couldn't shake the impending crowded feeling she felt in the midst of busy marketplaces. It didn't happen often, and she never let on to it, but it was still something that happened once and a while.

And sadly, she noted that day, it was happening more frequently, ever since the stupid fire fury incident. Even though she knew that the weakening of her strength wasn't DIRECTLY her fault, she still felt like smacking her forehead several times when she thought about it.

Because of this, she felt the need to get out of the crush of people and into a more secluded and quiet area. Well, that was part of it, the part she would rather die than admit. The fact she used was the one that Gourry bought; that she needed room and concentration to check on the sword.

So it was nice to finally be out of the chaos and in a nice cool calm pretty green grassy leafy area. She made sure that she was definitely out of Gourry's eyesight before she breathed out a sigh of relief.

Gourry turned around and blinked at her, obviously bemused. "Well, what should I do? Should I hold it out?"

Lina smiled. "Ah, so you have an inkling of what I'm going to do?"

Gourry nodded, looking proud. "I've learned a few things from you over the years," he replied happily.

Lina nodded. "I'm starting to get that," she replied. She walked over to him and put a hand to her chin in thought, frowning at the eerie sword. Gourry had attached it to his hip, like he always had. The other sword had moved to the opposite side, as if it were making way for the better sword.

"Hmm…" Lina murmured. "Hold it out in front, you know? Keep both hands underneath it, but keep the sword on your palms."

He complied, trying not to get too confused. He was grateful that she made it easy for him to understand. He liked it when she explained it step by step, but not in a condescending manner.

Lina leaned in closer. She examined it, and saw that nothing had changed in the detail. It looked so much like the original that it made her skin crawl…but only a little bit. She reached forward and poked it lightly, narrowing her eyes.

The same kind of feeling she had received before raced up her finger and up her arm, forcing a shiver out of her. "Gah," she muttered, rubber her finger. "Does it still do that to you?"

Gourry had to think about what she meant for a moment. "Oh, that tingling," he concluded. He then shook his head. "No. I think it stops once you hold it for a while."

"Makes sense, I guess," she nodded, her eyes still narrowed.

She straightened up and held her hands over the sword, barely an inch above it. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the sword, on its shape and feel and detail. Gradually, she could feel some sort of energy signature responding to her probing, but it was reluctant, meek.

Gourry blinked in surprise. As Lina was concentrating, the sword was glowing, a bright white. It hurt his eyes a little, so he focused on Lina, checking for any warning signs to danger. She seemed fine, but her expression looked angry, or upset, at something.

Lina wasn't upset, per se. She was confused. The original Sword of Light had given off an energy signature, similar to that of a magical talisman, but it had always been slightly different. The sword in front of her, although similar to the old signature, was a type that was so much weaker that it was giving Lina doubts. The Sword of Light's signature had been so strong that it had practically demanded her to delve deeper; this one was almost like it was begging her to back off.

Puzzled, Lina pushed more of her power forward, surrounding the sword closer and tighter (like I would wrap a tensor bandage around my leg after my dog decides that yes, the stairs are a great sleeping place, and yes, it's fine that I trip over her and break myself). She felt the sword resist, and the more she felt that, the closer she pushed.

It got to the point when she knew she was trying to hard, looking for something that was not there. She was looking for the old signature of power in this sword, because the loss of the Sword of Light was such a loss to both her and Gourry. She knew she was just looking for something that wasn't there.

She started to pull back, but it was then that something finally reacted. It was if the sword was tired of her constant pushing and that it would rather just have a nap, and a sudden shock of power coursed through the entire sword, from hilt to scabbard. Lina started pulling back in shock, but she tried too late, and the built up power flared out and not only hit her physically, but it also did a number on her magical reserves as well. She stumbled back with a cry and landed hard in the grass.

Gourry jumped at this sudden change of events and, without a second though, dropped the sword like a hot dumpling and was at Lina's side before she could even curse. And she did curse. Loudly.

She lay there, on her back, swearing and cursing as much as she could. Gourry actually reconsidered helping her back on her feet, but concern won over and he knelt down and took hold of her. She swatted at him, turning red when she opened her eyes and saw what was happening, but she didn't fight him off for long. The whole thing had made her feel nauseas and dizzy.

"What happened?" Gourry asked. Lina groaned and leaned back on his arm like a limp rag doll. At first he thought it was because she was hurt, but then he heard her growl in frustration.

"I am so sick of this," she answered flatly, rubbing a hand over her eyes. Already she could feel a headache coming on. "Sick of this!"

"Er," Gourry hesitated as she sat up again slowly. "What?"

Lina glared at nothing. Inside she was furious. "The stupid thing repelled me!" She snapped, her fists clenched. Gourry tilted his head, so she explained to him what she had been doing.

"I have no idea what any of that means," Gourry admitted, scratching his cheek. He pulled his arms away, noticing that she wasn't using his support to sit up anymore. "But it sounds bad."

"Oh, it's bad alright," she gritted her teeth, her eyes sparking. "It's bad for the sword!"

"You can't break the sword," Gourry replied plainly, dashing Lina's hopes for revenge. "We still haven't figured out how to open it."

"I KNOW that!" Lina snapped, turning her anger on him. "You think I haven't noticed this? That doesn't mean I should have to put up with being blasted by a supposedly useless sword! I---ah!"

She was cut off mid-lament when she felt a burning on her chest. She hunched over, clutching her hands to her chest. It was then that her hands fell on the necklace, and the hard gem of it. She reached under her shirt and grabbed it, and sure enough, that was the source of the burning she had felt. It was so hot it hurt to hold, and she had to keep switching it from hand to hand. Inside the gem, the smoky-like insides were glimmering, like sand in the sun.

"Huh," Lina said calmly, her eyes narrowed once more. "This keeps getting more and more interesting."

"Lina…" Gourry said softly, his eyes going from the necklace, to the sword, to her face. "I don't like this. We should get rid of them both."

Lina snorted, setting the necklace on the ground beside the sword. "Are you kidding? If anything, this proves our theory that this is the real Sword of Light. Something that has the gall to blast ME back HAS to be the real thing."

"Well, but," Gourry hesitated, "did it ever do that to you before?"

Lina opened her mouth, then closed it. She realized he was right. "No," she agreed softly. "It never did. Which is why I'm so curious about this one, and why, although it's similar, it has the tendencies it does."

Gourry looked confused, so she quickly filled him in on the process she had undergone while examining the sword. His face increased its worried look. "I don't like it," he said again. "As much as I would like to have my sword back, it's not worth the risk."

Lina looked up at him, and she knew what he meant. It wasn't worth risking HER. Ever since that damn expedition at the old library, he not only had increased his "guardian" ways, but he seemed to have a bug up his butt all the time when it came to anything that looked like a risk. It was starting to get annoying, even if she knew his intentions were good.

"I'm not at risk, Gourry," she snapped, glaring up at him. She wanted to start yelling at him, but her gaze was drawn back to the necklace. It had stopped shining all of a sudden, in one fluid moment. She frowned, then picked it up again.

Gourry grabbed it out of her hand.

Lina yelped, rounding on him at once. "Gourry!" she growled. "Give it back NOW!"

Gourry shook his head, glaring at her in such a way that it made her freeze in mid-lunge. He was holding the necklace by its chain, his eyes blazing into hers.

"If you insist on keeping this stupid thing," he said, "I wear it."

Lina's jaw dropped. What the hell? "Gourry, what is your problem?" she demanded. "I don't get why all of a sudden you're being so weird and possessive over everything. This isn't like you at all. Usually you would just smile, nod, and go with it. What's changed?"

Gourry dropped his hand to his side, as if it was useless, and he just stared at her, his eyes sad. Lina reddened, suddenly aware of what had changed. It was them. The fact that they had not only become an "us", but because of the fact that shortly after, she had almost lost her life, was what had changed.

It was Lina's nature to face something and move on, and over the years, she had thought that Gourry was that way too. Clearly, however, the upset with the backfire had somehow shaken him to the point of no return. As she thought about it, she wondered how long afterwards Gourry had been acting differently and she hadn't even noticed. Was she always that absorbed in her own things?

Could a person like Gourry, who was simple in most things, change so differently after just one event? Granted, it was a pretty intense event, and she could understand a slight change, yes, but…

She looked at him closely, really looked at him, and she chewed on her lip, noticing the clarity in his eyes when he met her gaze back.

"You've changed," she observed out loud. "And I don't think I like it."

Gourry suddenly blinked in surprise. "I haven't changed, I just have learned to speak," he answered her plainly.

"Maybe I don't like that," Lina mumbled.

Gourry looked hurt. She looked up and noticed how hurt he was. She wrinkled her nose, guilt suddenly flooding into her. "That's not what I meant," she said softly, knowing what that look meant: either way, Gourry felt nothing would please her. She reached forward and rubbed his knee lightly. "I just don't like it when people challenge me." She explained.

It was true. But it was, in a selfish way, especially true when it came to Gourry.

She decided to put this whole mess away. She didn't want to talk about it anymore, nor did she want to think about it and how much it hurt Gourry. She held out her hand. "Okay, hand it over now."

Gourry blinked, looking slightly confused. Then something clicked behind his eyes and he held the necklace away from her. "No way. It burned when you wore it."

Lina snorted. "Only when I was near your stupid sword. Give."

Gourry stuck out his tongue. "No."

Lina shrugged, stood up, leaned down, and snatched up the sword. Ignoring Gourry's protests, she buckled the sword onto her belt.

"You can't wear that!" Gourry stood up as well, getting right into her face. Lina just grinned at him. "That's mine!"

"Oh, please?" she snorted. "We don't know for sure that it's yours. Besides, you have something of mine, so it's only fair I have something of yours."

"This isn't yours," Gourry answered, looking moodily at the necklace. It wasn't worth the trade, in his opinion.

"Nor is this sword yours," Lina answered cheerfully. "So get over it."

Gourry made a face, but Lina was already walking away, so he followed, hastily tying the necklace around his neck.

"So what are we going to do now?" he wondered.

Lina looked over at him, noticing how wide and confused his eyes were. At least THAT hadn't changed. "Well, we can't just give up now. As sad as it is to say it, I may be of little use when it comes to lifting seals."

"Well, obviously," Gourry replied happily.

Lina shoved her elbow into his side before continuing. "So, we need to find someone who has better expertise with seals."

Gourry rubbed his side. "Uh, who would that be?"

Lina smiled. "Amelia, of course."


	5. Seyruun had a Makeover

_Writer's note: I've struggled over the months to get this part written. I wanted to write this part that wasn't the usual cliché "getting everyone back together" fic. So after a few fingernail chewings, and struggling to figure out what exactly I'm trying to get to with this fic (and failing), I came up with this._

_Enjoy!_

"Whoa," Lina stopped dead in her tracks. Gourry, who was distracted by something, forgot what it was the moment he collided into Lina's stopped form. Lina walked forward a few steps in inertia, then bounded back and throttled him with a fist.

As Gourry rubbed his head to try and get the stars out of his eyes, Lina pointed ahead of her. "It's finally done. It's been what, three, four years since it happened?" She lowered her hand and smiled. "But they got it done."

"Sorry," Gourry murmured, his eyes looking watery. Lina looked over and stifled the urge to pinch his cheeks and watch the water in his eyes drip down onto his nose. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The urge vanished. Lina rolled her eyes. "Remember, years ago, when we fought Kanzel and Mazenda? And I used my Dragon Slave to destroy that floating piece of earth?"

Gourry screwed up his face and put his hand to his chin. He leaned to the left, then to the right, then backwards, before crossing his eyes. He shook his head and declared proudly, "Nope, not a second of that sounds familiar!"

Lina leaned over and kicked Gourry's legs our from under him. He toppled to the ground with a shout of protest, but she ignored him. When she turned her back to him, he stifled a laugh with his hand; one that, unfortunately, she heard.

"I can't believe you're teasing me now!" she shouted. "I can't believe that, after all of these years, the whole stupid thing was an act!"

Gourry got up and brushed his pants off. "Not true. Most of the time, I have no idea what you're saying."

Lina resisted the urge to shove him down again. "Then why laugh at me?!" she demanded.

Gourry grinned at her. "Because you get so mad! Who can resist it?"

"Look, just shut up and listen," she answered, pointing again. They were standing on a hill that was situated quite a distance away from Seyruun, but the high ground gave them a good vantage point. "See on the left-hand side of the city?"

Gourry walked over and peered over her shoulder. She frowned at him, especially when he used her shoulder as a chin-perch. "I don't see anything wrong with it at all!" he said. "Isn't it _supposed_ to be shaped like a star?"

"Exactly!" Lina nodded. "They finally repaired the white magic ward that surrounds Seyruun. Which means that it's a much safer place to stay, and Amelia must be really happy about that."

"I wonder why it took so long," Gourry pondered, scratching his head. "It sounds important."

Lina grinned. "From what I heard, the king himself has been penny-pinching, even if it means that it takes longer to repair the ward that Seyruun is most reputed for."

"That sounds risky."

"It is," she agreed. "But I'm thinking that the old king will die soon, and that he planned an elaborate and expensive funeral."

"With the way Amelia talks, that doesn't sound very just," Gourry quipped.

Lina took the comment seriously, however. "I wouldn't say it's unjust," she said. "More like, he's trying to make sure that his city stays protected before going bankrupt from his death, one that they've been waiting for years now. Shrewd, maybe. Selfish, definitely. But the man's been sick for ages. Let him have his fancy funeral, don't you think?" she turned to him.

Gourry had his eyes closed, and his head was still rested on Lina's shoulder.

Lina reached up, grabbed him by the ears, and swung him around to face her. He yelped, and she let go. He toppled over and landed hard on his backside. "Sorry for boring you!" she said. She waved at him and flashed an "I'll-get-even-with-you-soon" grin, before turning on her heel and walking away from him.

Gourry scrambled to his feet to catch up to her, shouting her name and begging that she wait for him. Something she, as usual, ignored.

X X X

Seyruun was pretty much exactly as Lina had expected. Busy and bustling, with a sense of urgency in the air. However, what she hadn't expected was the reason WHY the activity in the city was so busy.

If she listened, and listened closely, to the people around her, she could hear the very reason why, and once she was definitely sure that what she was hearing was the actual case and not rumour, she felt the silent, burning shame in her gut from her previous comments about the king being cheap.

Gourry, however, had not caught on. He scratched his head, his eyes warily surveying the surroundings. "I don't remember Seyruun ever being this busy," he said, his voice very close to a whine.

"It's a very shock to me that you can recall remembering anything," Lina replied, smiling grimly. "No, the mass of people in the streets is hardly unusual, from the things I've heard in the past ten minutes alone about the goings-on."

Gourry blinked. "Why do you say that?" He wondered.

Lina clenched her teeth. "Are you kidding me? Are you deaf? Are you not hearing the one thing on everyone's lips right now, in this city, as you walk through it?"

Gourry smiled. "It couldn't be that important if I hadn't heard it yet!" he said happily.

Lina lunged at him and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him to her. "Gourry, the king of Seyruun died last week!" she hissed.

Gourry pulled away and scratched his head. "Oh, that's what happened?" he said calmly. "Have you heard how Amelia is taking it?"

Lina blinked hard, speechless. "Wow, Gourry; that was actually a thoughtful response! Are you sure you haven't been fooling us all of these years?"

"Fooling you on what?" Gourry wondered, his eyes on something to his right.

Lina sighed. Scratch that thought. "In any case, it's hard to miss that Phil's been crowned as the new king." Lina smiled wryly, gesturing to the people all around them. "That's one of the two things they all keep saying, other than the fact that the king is dead."

She paused, looking pensive. "Kind of ironic, don't you think? After all of these years, none of the assassins ever thought to just off the king in his sickbed. He was just too well-loved. What a mess they made, going after princes all the time…"

She stopped, realizing that her audience was missing. She turned around, looking for Gourry, and found him by a fried chicken stall, pointing enthusiastically at some kebabs.

Despite the bustle of the crowds, quite a few turned at stared as a small redhead managed to drag a man twice her size away from the stall by the ear, and wince from his shouts of protest.

X X X

Once the two managed to get through the beefed-up security (using the Seyruun family crest that Lina had stolen from Amelia all of those years ago), it was obvious that, even under new rule, Seyruun's Palace remained the same.

"Ugh," Lina rolled her eyes. "I had hoped Amelia would clean out some of this ugly crap."

Gourry eyed a random picture of a beefcake brandishing a sword on a mountain, the sun behind said beefcake, making it a very dramatic picture indeed. It was only one of the many pictures that littered the walls around them, many following the same theme with only a few variations.

"Some of it isn't so bad," he concluded mildly, eying one with the model sporting quite the bosom.

"Bite your tongue!" Lina snapped, giving him a fierce glare.

He was about to retort, but Amelia's arrival cut him short. She had grown even taller, but not enough to be annoying for Lina. She still looked just as young and perky as ever, and, as always, she wore an extremely elaborate and loudly pink dress.

"Gourry-san! Lina-san!" she cried. She flung her arms around Lina with so much force that she almost lost her balance.

Lina hugged back with a smile. "Hello, Amelia," she replied.

Amelia pulled away, but held onto Lina's hands tightly. Her blue eyes searched Lina's intensely, making Lina a little nervous. "How are you doing?" Amelia asked softly. "Are you feeling better?"

The words completely threw Lina so much that she gaped. Questions like that were hardly like Amelia, especially after such a happy greeting. In fact, come to think of it, they were more like…

Lina's eyes widened in realization, then she growled and dropped Amelia's hands. "Sylphiel has a big mouth!" she cried, her hands on her hips.

"Eh? What's gotten you mad now?" Gourry wondered, leaning over Lina casually and putting his face close to hers.

"Sylphiel blabbed about what happened with the Fire Fury!" Lina spat it out, her eyes blazing.

Amelia, however, apparently was not done. "Shame on you, Lina-san!" she continued, her tone so fiery that it shut both Lina and Gourry up. "It's bad enough that I had to hear it from a third party!"

"Here it comes," Gourry whispered into Lina's ear.

Amelia twirled on one foot once and put one hand on her chest, the other on her forehead. "After so many journeys and sojourns together, I have to learn about your near-peril from a stranger!"

"Sylphiel is not a stranger!" Lina pointed out.

Amelia blushed. "You know what I mean!" she cried, her hands fisted under her chin. Her eyes became watery in an instant. "You should have told me you were in trouble!"

Lina snorted. "You have enough on your plate. I'm sure things are a cake-walk for you right now."

"Clearly, you need a healer in your midst!" Amelia responded. Lina got the feeling that Amelia wasn't listening to her anymore,. "Perhaps I should come with you now wherever you go!"

Lina covered the princess's mouth. "No, that's fine," she said calmly. "I don't need you to fawn over me like I'm about to collapse."

Amelia pulled away. "I would never do that!" she protested.

"In any case," Lina waved her hand dismissively. "We DO need your help."

Amelia's eyes lit up instantly, her past grudge apparently forgotten. "What do you need my help with?" she wondered.

Lina reached to her side and unbuckled the sword from her hip. "Do you think you could open this?"

Amelia's eyes widened in surprise. "That looks like the Sword of Light!" she cried. "How is that possible?!"

"Dunno," Gourry said. "That's why we wanted to open it."

"Do you think you can?" Lina asked again.

Amelia tilted her head to the side. "I'm hardly stronger than you are, Lina-san. Why would you need me to open it?"

Lina suddenly realised that this might take a while. She sighed. "Is there any place we can sit down and talk about this?"

Amelia reddened again. "I'm sorry, Lina-san, I forgot my manners. This way!"

She led them to one of the unused conference rooms. Its high ceilings and decent space was just like something Lina had in mind. Together, the three stacked all of the chairs littered about the room against the wall, and Amelia dragged over three squashy poufs to sit on. Even though they looked silly, Lina approved of the makeshift chairs. It would be easier to balance while concentrating.

Once they were seated (Gourry grumbled about the pouf being too squishy, and was shushed by Lina), Amelia smiled. "Okay, so tell me, what is it you want done?"

Lina held up the sword. "Can you think of ay way to get this thing open?"

Amelia took the sword gingerly, not really adept to handling such a long blade. She first tried to tug the sword out of the scabbard, but that was no go. She examined it critically next, before, as casual as ever, she gripped it tightly, swung it down, and bashed the thing several times on the floor.

Both Lina and Gourry cried out at the same time. Lina, however, used colourful expletives to make her point, and she grabbed the sword back so fast that Amelia lost her balance and toppled off of her pouf.

"What the hell are you doing, Amelia?!" Lina shouted. Both she and Gourry were checking the sword for any type of damage.

"I was trying to get it open!" Amelia protested, climbing back onto her pouf.

"Oy, Amelia, you could have broken it!" Gourry said meekly.

Amelia glared at them both. "How else am I supposed to open it? It's like the thing is stuck!"

"Magically!" Lina said a trace hysterically. "I meant magically!"

"You should have just said that!" Amelia snapped back. "What am I, a mind-reader?"

Lina glared at the younger girl. "I'm going to kick your ass," she warned.

Gourry held up a hand. "Okay!" he began, looking a little worried for his own well-being at stepping in. "The sword is fine and we had a misunderstanding. Can we try again, please?"

Amelia pouted, and Lina ran her fingers over the sword to double-check. When she was satisfied, she held the sword out again. Crossly, Amelia took it, shifted so that she was kneeling, and lay the sword horizontally across her knees. She shut her eyes, held her hands out, and muttered under her breath.

Both Gourry and Lina watched with held breath. Slowly, Amelia's hands and the sword itself began to glow. Amelia's sulky expression changed to one of concentration, and she frowned, deeply.

After a moment, the light faded, and Amelia opened her eyes again. She sighed, held the sword between her hands, and pulled on the hilt.


	6. Pretty Paperweight

Nothing happened.

Amelia blinked in disbelief, then sort of smiled in an embarrassed way, before trying again, this time harder and with a few grunts.

Still nothing.

"Oy," Lina said softly, her voice dripping complete shock and ill-amusement.

"I don't think it's going to work," Gourry said, scratching his head.

"That's nonsense!" Amelia stuttered with a smile and red cheeks. "It's rare for my spells to miss! Here, let me try again!"

Hurriedly, she held her hands over the sword again, and chanted in a fervent manner that Lina suspected was usually reserved for the battlegrounds. Once more the sword shimmered from the light of her spell, and when it faded, Amelia was much more hesitant to try and open the sword this time.

But she did try again.

And still, nothing happened.

There was a short silence between the three. Amelia tried very hard to look cheerful and optimistic, Gourry looked disappointed, and Lina looked, oddly, blank.

"Can I see it for a second, Amelia?" she said calmly, holding out one hand.

Amelia held it out to her, nodding.

Lina grabbed the sword by the hilt and held it in both hands. Then, in one smooth moment, she had stood up, turned away, and started bashing the sword onto the floor as hard as she could, shouting with each impact.

X X X

Once Gourry had managed to sit on Lina, and from there, Amelia managed to grab back the sword, the two collectively were able to calm Lina down with food.

Holding the sword out of Lina's reach, Amelia tried to reason it all out. "So, let's get the facts straight here," she began warily, secretly looking for dents in the floor. "This sword was on display…"

Lina snorted. "Sword! Sword? That's not a sword. That's not even fit to be a damned paperweight!"

Gourry frowned, leaning back a bit on his chair, eyeing the sword thoughtfully. "I think it would be a really neat paperweight, actually."

Lina's fist made contact with his face before his sentence was finished. He squeaked and toppled over. Amelia sighed and tried again.

"So this theoretical sword was on display in a little shop in a random town," she went on. "And the shopkeeper there, she said she found it up north?"

Lina tugged on her bangs. "Yes, Amelia," she growled. "Do you have a point at all?"

Amelia pouted, then looked at the sword in her hands thoughtfully. "It just seems strange that you would come across this sword in a window like that, in a random town."

Gourry managed to sit back up after a moment. "It's not like she was putting it in the window as we walked by or anything," he said, rubbing his cheeks.

"But it's true that it's a little suspicious," Lina frowned, putting a hand to her chin in thought. "I've been thinking…" she looked up at Gourry. "You remember in the library?"

Gourry blinked. He paused, thought for a moment, then blushed. "I don't think I do," he admitted.

Lina grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him forward. "The library that I found the Fire Fury spell in, you moron!" she snapped. She shook him for good measure. "Don't tell me you've forgotten it all already!"

Gourry's eyes went out of focus when she shook him. "I only remember getting you healed! Why would I remember that place? It has bad memories!"

Lina let go of him and rolled her eyes. She turned to Amelia instead. "In the library, when I miscast the spell, it was because something hit me on the back of my head. I had thought, maybe it was a book or something, but there wasn't even a book behind me after I miscast it."

Amelia's eyes widened. "Then, you're saying, maybe…"

"I think we're being set up," Lina growled out. "It's too coincidental."

"But how would the two be connected?" Amelia wondered, gazing at the sword again. "It's not like you found the sword at the town you stayed at. I'm sure Sylphiel would have mentioned it if there was something like that."

"Heh, with exclamations to boot," Lina agreed, leaning back and smiling grimly. "To be honest, it was the food that attracted us to that town to begin with. Sounds pretty harmless, don't you think?"

"I suppose that depends on how you heard about it," a voice called from the doorway. "Advertisements and the like can be planted."

All three looked up to find Zelgadis standing in the doorway, covered head-to-toe in his white robes. Amelia grinned and scrambled to get to her feet, tripping a little on her skirts and the pouf she sat on combined. Lina and Gourry stayed back, but smiled almost as brightly.

"Zel!" Gourry called, waving. "Nice to see you!"

"Zel, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Lina wondered, getting to her feet.

Amelia stopped in front of Zelgadis, her hands clasped in front of her. She practically radiated happiness, and her face was bright red. Zelgadis blinked, cleared his throat, and pulled his hood and cowl off, revealing a very shy-looking chimera underneath. "I, uh, was around," he muttered.

Lina leaned in closer, delighted at the chance of being able to torment him. "You were around, eh? Where were you around?"

Zelgadis looked at her in irritation. "Around in Seyruun," he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"I'm glad you're here, Zelgadis-san," Amelia said softly, so much in fact that Lina almost didn't hear her. "I wasn't sure you had received my last letter, and…"

Zelgadis put a hand on her shoulder, surprising both Lina and Gourry. "We can discuss that later," he said quietly. He then turned to Lina, keeping his hand where it was, to her surprise. "Now, do you remember where you had heard about the food in this town?"

Lina put her hands on her hips. "How long have you been standing there, anyways? Have you even washed up at all?"

Zelgadis reddened a little. He gave Amelia a sheepish look. "I had thought I needed to rush, so I held back on that. When I heard your voices, I thought it was more urgent than I anticipated so…"

"So, you waited for a chance to make a dramatic entrance," Lina teased. "Typical Zelgadis!"

"I didn't mean it like that," he muttered, but Lina waved a hand at him in dismissal. "You enjoy teasing me too much," he accused.

"Just be glad I didn't tease you too obviously," she responded, giving him a look, then darting her eyes towards Amelia pointedly. She then waved a hand, this time towards the table they were all seated at.

Amelia left the room briefly to summon some refreshments and snacks, then joined them, looking flustered but happy. Lina was inwardly gloating, but refrained from saying anything out loud. She new that teasing Zelgadis would only make him more hesitant, and while Amelia was obvious and open about her feelings for Zelgadis, Lina knew that Zelgadis wasn't so sure about his own.

It always led back to how he looked, she figured. Because he had trouble with his chimera body, and how he felt so ugly; it would be hard for him to understand that perhaps not everyone saw him like he, himself, did. Maybe now, he was finally getting it.

Still, it would do no good to push. Not yet, anyways. She really wanted to know what this letter was all about, but Amelia would be the one to ask, not Zelgadis.

Once they were all seated, and the "sword" (_paperweight_, Lina thought bitterly) was put in a safe place (_away from Lina_, everyone else thought), they resumed their conversation.

"Advertisements, huh?" Lina said, seriously having to think about it. "I'm not sure how we heard of it, to be honest. I think it was word of mouth? That's how we usually hear about places, anyways." She turned to her guardian. "Do you remember?"

Gourry was eyeing Zelgadis's plate hopefully, clearly not paying attention. Lina rubbed her forehead. "No, I don't think you would remember, even if life depended on it," she said sadly.

Without looking up, Gourry said in a distracted voice, "What about the necklace, did you tell about the necklace?"

Zelgadis handed him a chicken leg and he pounced on it.

Amelia looked at Lina accusingly. "You never mentioned a necklace," she said.

Lina glared at Gourry. "Maybe if I was allowed to wear it, I would remember it!" she snapped. She still was angry that Gourry had decided to take her treasure. She was the one who had taken – er – earned it, not him!

Zelgadis looked somewhat confused. "That doesn't sound right. You let him take it from you?"

"Let him?" Lina sputtered, choking on the words. "Let him?!"

"Lina…" Zelgadis leaned in close, looking quite serious. "...are you growing soft on the guy now? Could it be, because…"

Lina lunged forward and grabbed him by the front of his robes. "We're taking this outside!" She shouted. She was so sick of Zelgadis trying to insinuate things about her and Gourry. First it was in his letters, and now in front of everyone else!

Gourry nodded, taking alternating bites between chicken and steak. "I already know she loves me," he said blandly, his eyes focused on his meal. Lina felt every drop of blood drain from her face. "I'd have to be really stupid not to see that."

Amelia did the only sane thing. She slid from her chair and hid under the table. It was just in time, because Lina decided that Zelgadis was a perfect projectile.

Afterwards, when both Gourry and Zelgadis lay winded and dazed on the floor, Lina calmly resumed her own meal, stealing most of Gourry's to boot. Amelia cautiously slithered back up into her seat, looking warily at the two.

"Anyways," Lina said calmly, looking over at Amelia. Amelia blanched, but said nothing. "The necklace in question was one that I –er –_ liberated_ from another town. And, this, er, _liberation_ seemed to piss people off, because of their oppressive points of view, of course…I mean, keeping an item like this locked away, not letting anyone take a look at the power it could have…" Lina's eyes blazed at the injustice of it all.

Amelia swallowed, unsure of whether or not she was needed to get Lina back on track. Thankfully, she didn't have to. "In any case, this item, while emitting magical signatures that even have ME confused, has yet to reveal its secrets to me." Lina gnawed on her fork, narrowing her eyes.

Amelia paused, sipping her tea, before asking carefully, "And where did you hear about the necklace?"

Gourry sat up quickly, his eyes suddenly on Lina. She turned to him in a flash, her mouth open. Neither of them had any memory of where they had heard about the necklace. It was almost as if they had always known it was there.

"I…don't know," Lina replied lamely. "I actually have no idea."

"Me neither," Gourry agreed. He was about to continue, but was abruptly shoved to the side. No one, not even Gourry, had noticed that the blond was still sitting on Zelgadis. Red-faced, the chimera got to his feet and sat back down at the table in a huff, muttering under his breath.

Lina longed to tease him, really and truly wanting to drag out another verbal sparring match with him, but she was really and truly stumped. Where HAD she heard about the necklace?

Amelia started to look queasy. "Lina-san, Gourry-san, this is too creepy for words," she moaned. "First you go on an adventure without really knowing why, and then you end up facing death along the way."

"She did, not me," Gourry answered, pointing at Lina. Lina lunged forward and grabbed his finger. He yelped, and she twisted it back, hard, shouting out, "What did you say?!"

Zelgadis rubbed his forehead. He shot Amelia a long-suffering look. "Just when you think someone has grown up…" he smiled halfly.

Amelia nodded mournfully, as if both Lina and Gourry had grown ill. "It's almost as if we are the ones to be the adults now."

"Like hell!" Lina snapped, giving Gourry a final tug on the cheek before getting back to her chair. "Don't speak like I'm not even here!"

"Yeah, otherwise you're just as rude as Lina," Gourry piped in from the floor sulkily, tired of being whaled on.

Perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut. Instantly, she was back in his face, tugging both cheeks in succession.

Amelia rubbed her face. "Zelgadis-san, have you noticed…" she looked up at him, and he saw the glint of teasing in her eyes. "Lina-san's attacks are less magical and more physical with Gourry-san. If it were you or I, she would have used…"

Zelgadis paled. "Don't give her any ideas…"

Too late. The Fireball burst in the middle of the room, silencing all teasing.

X X X

"Lina-san, this is ridiculous!" Amelia snapped, holding an icepack to her left eye. "Every time we try and talk about this, you end up doing something stupid!"

They were now in the infirmary wing of the palace of Seyruun. Lina was sitting in a chair close by, looking smug and proud of herself, while Amelia, Zelgadis, and Gourry (the worst of the three) were in a bed each.

"Maybe you need to work on your politics," Lina sneered.

Amelia went scarlet. "That's hitting below the belt!"

"Will you both shut up?" Zelgadis growled, pressing his palms to his eyes. "Jeez."

"Ow," Gourry mumbled from his cot.

"Oh, shut up, Gourry," Lina snarled. "I didn't hit you that hard."

Gourry sat up, the wet washcloth on his head falling into his lap. He hurriedly reached under his shirt, exclaiming the whole time. Lina froze as he yanked the necklace from his neck, throwing it down onto the bed and edging away from it. "It was burning!" he exclaimed, his eyes narrow.

Zelgadis and Amelia leaned in closer. "So this is what you found?" Zelgadis asked, touching the stone with a fingertip. After a moment, he drew his hand back, hissing with pain.

The stone itself was glowing a white-hot light that shimmered as it grew. From inside, the granules that made up the stone were moving, ebbing and flowing. Each grain seemed to emit its own light, and each time the granules moved, the light increased.

Lina's eyes widened. "It's never done anything like this before!" she breathed. She looked up at Gourry, who was, oddly, gazing intently at her. "Gourry, did you do anything?"

He shook his head. "I was…just thinking is all."

Lina frowned. Amelia caught her eye and went pink, but she just rolled her eyes. "About what?"

Gourry looked embarrassed, and Lina suddenly wondered if Amelia had been right after all. He then proved her wrong. "I was just thinking…all of that talk about the library, and what happened…my mind was just on that."

Lina reddened, but nodded. "Okay," she said. "And?"

"I was just thinking," his eyes broke from hers and stared at the necklace. "I wished that, back there, I had acted faster. It's been…haunting me lately."

Zelgadis blinked, and Amelia sighed deeply, but Lina ignored them both. She leaned forward and grabbed onto one of his hands, tight. She heard Amelia inhale sharply, but she ignored that, too.

"Gourry," she said softly, trying to catch his eye. "You did the right thing. Everything you did, every way you reacted, was the right thing. You acted just enough, just in time."

Gourry nodded but didn't look up. "I was just thinking about that, when suddenly, that started to hurt, and…I said ow."

Lina's own eyes narrowed. She stared, hard at the necklace. "We need to figure out what the hell this is," she said. "And fast. Because somehow, I don't think we're moving fast enough for its liking."

"Eh?" Amelia squeaked out. "You're speaking as if it has a mind of its own!"

"Amelia, it sensed what Gourry was thinking!" Lina answered, her grip on Gourry's hand growing tighter. "No normal object does that."

"But you don't really know for a fact that the sudden heat and glow was in reaction to Gourry's thoughts," Zelgadis pointed out.

"True," she said. She finally let go of Gourry's hand and picked up the necklace carefully. It was still hot to the touch. "But think about it: we found this in the New World, right? Where magic consists of lighting and sleeping, right?"

"Well, so?" Gourry frowned, rubbing his head.

"So, why would a town in the New World have something like this?" Her eyes unfocused. "Or a spellbook like that one in the library…" She frowned. "Something stinks about all of this."

"So, then, what should we do?" Amelia wondered.

Lina turned to her, suddenly very serious. "Amelia, I know it's a lot, but do you think you're up for a bit of traveling?"

It was as if Lina offered her a brand new Hammer of Justice. Her eyes went starry and she grinned. "Of course I am, Lina-san!"

"Zel?" she flicked her gaze to the chimera.

Zelgadis smiled. "You've grabbed my interest now. I want to see it through."

Lina nodded, returning the smile. "Then I think we should head north of here," she admitted.

"North?" Amelia repeated. Her eyes suddenly focused. "Filia-san! That's where her new shop is, isn't it?"

Lina nodded. "I think we need to talk to someone who knows the New World best. And who better than our very own Golden Dragon?"

Gourry looked at her, smiling. "So, we're on the road again?"

Lina laughed. "Like we ever left!"

Carefully, she tucked the necklace into one of her pockets, not in her mantel, but one of the hidden pockets on her shirt, close to her breast. That way, if it ever burned again, she wouldn't be hurt by it, but could still feel it.

Gourry noticed. "So I guess I'm carrying the sword again?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know why you want to," she answered. "But yes."

Amelia clapped her hands once. "Let's go!" she cried. She tossed the ice pack aside and ran out of the room. Soon, they heard her ordering a few people, getting things together for their trip.

Zelgadis's mouth twitched in mirth. "You sure you want to bring her along?"

Lina grinned. "The more the merrier! Let's go!"


	7. Icicle Kisses

_Writer's note: Those of you who were able to read between the lines in my other fic, The Blood That Runs Deep, know exactly what happens in this chapter. In case the title didn't give you a hint, this chapter does contain a bit of the romance, which includes the physical stuff. It doesn't go into detail (much), but in case you get squicked by that kind of thing, you were warned._

The journey north began well enough. Amelia only cracked into judicial speech once, and it was for the benefit on Seyruun. Philionel had been hesitant to let her go, but, to Lina's delight, Amelia wore down his resolve by using the most irritating and high-pitched whining that had Lina had ever heard, and would even hesitate to use on her most hated of enemies. She had a feeling that, in the end, Phil only let her go so that he wouldn't have to listen to it anymore. Which, Lina thought, was exactly what Amelia had wanted anyway.

By midday, they were supplied, packed, and on the road. As they walked away from Seyruun's busy streets, Lina felt the familiar tingle of excitement that always accompanied her travels. She had only visited Filia's new shop once, and it had been one of the most amusing times of her life.

Despite how serious Filia could be at the best of times and in a pinch, in front of Jillas and Gravos, she acted like a complete lunatic. It was as if the only thing the two would listen to was screaming, because the only way that Filia could get their attention was to shriek at the top of her lungs. By the end of the day, Gourry was complaining of ear trouble, but Lina was too busy laughing her sides into stitches to care.

She was looking forward to that, as well as getting some answers to this whole mess that they had gotten into.

As they went, Gourry and Lina walked side-by-side in amicable silence, broken only when Gourry offered Lina some food or when Lina remarked on how the breeze was starting to get colder.

Amelia and Zelgadis, however, were a different story altogether. As they walked in front of Lina and Gourry, they talked, heads close together, in such an animated way that both Lina and Gourry found it entertaining (hence why they were silent for the most part). Occasionally, Amelia would yell out, and Zelgadis would yell back, and the other couple had to hide their laughter.

Of course, they were arguing about Zelgadis, and his constant search for the cure to his infliction. Amelia was desperately trying to convince him to give up, but he kept finding fault with her arguments. Occasionally, both would be reduced to angry silence (which was when Lina and Gourry would break it with inane chatter), only to start up again in a half-hour or less.

Soon, Lina was betting with Gourry to see how many times they would argue before they took a break for the day.

It was never a dull moment.

X X X

When night fell, the air cooled considerably, and with quick navigation and a few maps tossed at each other, they learned that they had already made it a fourth of the way. By this time, Amelia and Zelgadis were in a silent spell, so Lina, who was the only one who bothered to make the observation, was answered only by Gourry, who said, "Awesome, I'm starving!"

Whether it was out of self-preservation or merely carelessness, Lina had forgotten just how cold the north could get. And she made it known just how cold it was, to everyone around her, even as they sat to take their meal before the fire.

"I'm cold," she shivered, huddled in most of the blankets that the group had with them. Amelia rolled her eyes, and Zelgadis calmly ignored her. Gourry, however, couldn't ignore it one bit.

"You know, maybe if you gained weight, you would be warmer," he said helpfully. "It would also mean that you would have bigger breasts."

Lina flung off the blankets and slammed into him, beating him senseless.

"I was waiting for something like that," Zelgadis admitted, sipping his tea calmly.

"It HAS been a while since Gourry said anything about Lina-san's breasts," Amelia agreed, nibbling on some of the chicken that had finally finished cooking.

Lina jumped off of Gourry and held out her hands, her eyes blazing and trained right on Amelia. "You want to be next?!" she demanded.

Amelia squeaked and hid behind Zelgadis, who merely sipped his tea without so much as a flinch. Lina growled, then sat back down, burying herself in the blankets once more.

"We're going to need those tonight, so you can't keep them all," Zelgadis said lightly. Amelia peered over his shoulder and grabbed another chunk of chicken, nodding her agreement.

Lina let out a loud groan. "Why didn't it feel this cold last time we went?!" she shouted.

Gourry shook his head, still lying on the ground. "It was. You just blocked it from your mind."

Lina sighed, her shivers keeping her from punching him. "Probably," she admitted.

The rest of the meal was taken in silence, only broken when the food was gone and they had to decide whose turn it was to pitch the tents, as well as the order they would take for watching over the camp.

Lina begged to have the first watch, just so that she wouldn't have to get up later and suffer the cold when it was even colder. Both Zelgadis and Amelia left her to it, probably, she thought, so that they could both get up together and argue more.

Gourry, however, hesitated. "Are you sure you want to take the first watch?"

Lina scowled at him. "You better not be insinuating that I can't do it. I've done this thousands of times before, you know."

Gourry forwned. "Of course not. What am I, an idiot?" He scratched his cheek. "It's just...really cold."

Lina gave him a baleful glance. "Duh," she said in monotone. She turned away from him and scooted closer to the fire, as close as she dared. "Go to sleep, kurage."

There was a silence, but soon it was broken by Gourry walking over to her side and sitting down. Lina sighed and looked around. Gourry rolled his eyes. "They went to bed."

Lina reddened. Had she been that obvious that she was checking to see if they were alone? "Meh," she answered, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder. Instantly, she could feel his warmth, and she shifted closer, until there wasn't air between their sides.

Gourry wrapped his arms around her and tugged her close. She shivered, and he felt it. He had to admit that her intolerance for cold wasn't completely irrational, but it still was a little weird. But then, he thought, when was Lina anything but weird?

Lina felt a stirring, deep down in her chest, when Gourry put his arms around her. She swallowed, shut her eyes, and buried her face into his shoulder, sliding her arms around his waist. Gourry held on tighter, and for a moment, they sat there, in silence, their breathing soon matching.

"You're so warm," Lina said suddenly, her voice thick and muffled. Her fingers took hold of his thick cloak and held on, feeling warmer, but a different sort of warm.

Recently, Lina had come to accept her feelings for Gourry. She had begrudgingly admitted that she did love the idiot and would rather eat her own hand than be without him. But despite that, and the fact that his feelings were akin to hers, they hadn't gone far in terms of showing it physically. Lina herself was, despite how safe Gourry made her feel, scared to death of the idea, and Gourry calmly respected that and let her call the shots.

But tonight, she felt different. Whether it was because of the fact that she no longer felt the trepidation over it all that she had before, or whether it was because she was cold and needed human body heat to thaw out, the answer was still the same.

"Gourry," she mumbled, unsure of how he would take it, and unsure of how to voice it.

"Mm," was his answer. He sounded so far away, and when she looked up, she could see that his eyes were closed and he was smiling.

"You awake?" she wondered, delaying her real question.

"Yup," he replied, opening his eyes as proof. His eyes met hers, and she went bright red, suddenly feeling as if she would never be cold again. If only he wasn't so amazing to look at, so disarming with his smiles, it would be easier. "What's up, Lina?"

Lina sighed, deeply, knowing she wouldn't be able to get the words out. It was sudden, but then, it was a long time coming, and while she knew it would probably change everything between them, she just couldn't wait anymore.

Without a word, she sat up, pulled away from him, and then leaned back in, sitting right on his lap, her legs wrapped around his hips, her arms around his neck. She heard him inhale sharply, felt him stiffening a little, as if he was unsure of how to sit, but she leaned closer and nuzzled his neck lightly with her lips, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent deeply.

"Lina..." he said softly, his voice tense. He lightly put his hands on her shoulders, then slid them down her arms to her hips. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to make of this sudden development, and though half of his brain was screaming to ignore the other half and just go with it, that other half was too in control to ignore. He jerked his hands away and put them on her shoulders. "Lina," he said again, his voice firmer, "Um...what are you doing?"

Lina looked up at him, her red eyes shining. "Weren't you in the army?" she wondered, her face bright red.

Gourry blinked, suddenly confused by this random question. "For a time," he agreed.

"Right," Lina nodded. "So then, you either, during that time, experienced this first hand, or at least heard about it from your comrades, right?"

"Uhhh..." Gourry stammered, suddenly getting it. "So then, you know what you're doing?" he asked.

Lina dropped her head onto his chest with a sound of exasperation. "Of course I do!" she snapped. "Just because I haven't done it doesn't mean that I don't know how it's done!"

Gourry shifted, trying very hard to get the blood back into his brain. Lina blinked, her face reddening even more, suddenly feeling just how well her advances were working on him. "Um, but, Lina..." he began.

She reached up and covered his mouth with her hands, looking right into his eyes. "No," she said. "I'm cold, and I'm tired. I don't want to spend the night alone tonight, but I don't want to just...you know...sleep like we always do. I just...want YOU, stupid!"

Gourry blinked, nodding slowly. She pulled her hands away from his mouth, resting her palms on his cheeks. "That okay with you? Because, if you would rather not..."

Gourry shook his head so hard that her hands fell away. "No, no, gods no, Lina," was his answer. He wrapped his arms around her and tugged her close, so that she was pressed up right against him. Without another word, they kissed, this kiss much deeper, much more intense than any other kiss that they had ever shared before. Lina kept her hands on his cheeks for only a moment, before she buried her fingers into his hair.

For a while, it was only their kissing, both completely lost in the sensation. Lina wondered why she hadn't done this sooner.

Then, it was touching, something Lina REALLY wished she had done sooner. They stayed close to the fire, keeping warm both from the flames and from their own heat. By the time Lina's watch was over, they both felt as if they had known each other by touch forever.

"Oy," Zelgadis's voice cut in through the silence. Lina jerked away so quickly that it looked as if she had been thrown. Both looked up, shame-faced and bright red, as the chimera stood there casually, smiling faintly. "I take it the watch was eventful?"

Lina growled and lunged towards him, shrieking. He easily side-stepped her and smirked. She turned around and lunged again, but this time, Gourry caught her, holding her by the waist. She protested, and Zelgadis merely chuckled and walked past her, sitting down by the fire and starting his watch.

Amelia suddenly burst from her tent, her eyes bloodshot. "WHY is it LOUD?!" she demanded.

Lina suddenly froze, her face burning. Gourry held her firmly, so that she wouldn't attack Amelia, but the fight was gone from her anyway.

Amelia, despite her sleepy look, instantly understood. She gave Lina and Gourry a sly look. "Ah, so you two will be sharing a tent, huh?"

Lina's hands reached towards her throat with a shout. Gourry, however, took it calmly. "Do you mind, Amelia? Once Zel is done his turn, you and him can swap."

Amelia went bright pink, never suspecting that she had actually been correct. "Er...sure?"

"Ah! Gourry!" Lina shouted. "Why did you have to tell her?!"

"She had a right to know!" Gourry protested. "It's stupid to sleep in separate tents anyway. We're in a relationship, after all."

There was an eerie silence as Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis all gaped at him as one.

"You know," Zelgadis said calmly. "It's not a bad point." He got up from where he sat and went back into his tent, emerging later with his belongings.

Amelia smiled. "You should have said something sooner! Of course you can share a tent!" she then scowled at Lina. "Shame on you! You should have told me sooner. I thought you were just being careless!"

"WHAT?!" Lina's protest was more like a scream, and Gourry and to tuck her under his arm to keep her from strangling Amelia. With a casual wave, Gourry half-carried, half-dragged her to Zelgadis's tent. Soon, both princess and chimera could hear them arguing in hushed voices.

Amelia looked at Zelgadis silently. He looked at her with a smile. "Want some tea?" he wondered.

She smiled. "Not a bad idea," she admitted, walking over to join him.

Within the tent, Lina was about ready to pummel Gourry to a bloody pulp, until he said, "But I thought you were cold?" and her common sense came crashing back down, and she realised that, here she was, in a tent, alone with Gourry, who had, only moments before, had his hands on her in ways she never thought she would allow anyone to have.

Without a word, she darted forward and pounced on him, her lips on his. He laughed, the sound muffled, and held her close. Soon, there was little else to think about but their own feelings, caresses, and bodies, all of them coming together.

X X X

When Lina awoke, she forgot for a moment where she was and what had happened. When her senses kicked in and she felt Gourry's arm around her, she realised with a widening of her eyes and a reddening of her cheeks. She and Gourry were buried under layers of blankets, and during the night they had snuggled close to ward off the chill. But despite this, there was no escaping it: They were both naked.

Lina lay there, her eyes wide, thinking it all over. It had been awkward, and certainly not the way she had heard it described from others, but at the same time, it had been exciting, interesting, and intense. It had been nice to know that, despite his age and his experience, Gourry had very much been just as new to it as she was. Which was, she thought with a smile, why it had been pretty clumsy.

But, she thought, snuggling closer and sliding her arms around him, listening to him snore, I'm glad it was with him.

X X X

When Gourry and Lina emerged from the tent together, they were surprised to see that Amelia and Zelgadis were sitting as far away from each other as possible. Surprised, at least, for a moment, until Lina rolled her eyes and muttered, "Angry Silence Number One."

At first, Lina had felt nervous about coming out of the tent with Gourry in the morning. After all, tents weren't exactly sound-proof, so their comrades must have heard some of what they were doing without wanting to. But when Gourry smiled at her when she poked him awake, and felt that fluttering in her chest, she decided not to care.

Gourry, however, found he really didn't have an issue as to whether or not Amelia or Zelgadis heard. Lina had tried to shush him at first, but soon gave up, much to his relief. He knew he would be hearing about it from Zelgadis later in the form of teasing, but other than that, compared to what he had been able to share with Lina...it didn't matter.

Breakfast was made and eaten, the silence broken only by Lina attempting to make small talk with, at first, Amelia, then Zelgadis, before giving up and chattering with Gourry instead, frustrated by the other couple's lack of enthusiasm for the day.

When camp was packed up and everyone was on their way again, Gourry easily fell into stride with Lina. Like he usually did, he reached out to put his arm around her, but this time, instead of edging away, she leaned into it. He was so surprised about it that he had his hand hovering over her shoulder for a whole five seconds before he realised he could put it down. But he smiled, the warmth from Lina's shoulder spreading from his fingertips to his toes.

"I'm cold," Lina whined. "It's getting colder. Why the hell is it colder?!"

"Isn't that generally how it goes when you travel north?" Zelgadis wondered from ahead of them.

Lina scowled at him, and Gourry smiled.


	8. A Mace and a Deathwish

By the time they reached the county that Filia called home, it was close to nightfall, and a light snow had started.

To Lina's absolute delight, she and her comrades could hear Filia screaming at the top of her lungs from a few yards away, as they approached the shop. It momentarily made Lina forget the cold, as well as some aches and pains she had developed on the way.

As the group approached (in a silence, as Amelia and Zelgadis had had one of their spats and were in Angry Silence Number Five, and Gourry was distracted by a couple of snowflakes that had started to fall), they saw the door to the shop fling open so hard it looked like the door would come down shortly afterwards. Gravos, with a shout, jumped out, looking as if he had been thrown. He landed in the light dusting of snow, only to have a shovel thrown at him and the door slam behind him.

Lina tried, very hard, but found she couldn't keep in the giggles. Amelia gave her a stern look. "It's not nice to laugh at the misfortune of others, Lina-san!" she scolded.

"Yes it is!" Lina answered between gasps, "if it's Gravos!"

"I wonder what he did," Gourry pondered.

"Probably breathed the wrong way, knowing Filia," Zelgadis answered.

As they walked, Gravos picked up the shovel and, with grumbling, dragged it unceremoniously from the front of the shop to the back, where he disappeared from their sight.

"Aw," Lina said sadly, "I was hoping he would stick around."

"Only so that you could torment him!" Amelia snapped.

"Of course!" Lina crowed.

When they got within a few feet of the door, it suddenly burst open with force, and the dragon in question jumped out, mace in full swing. She shouted, "Namagomi!" at the top of her lungs, her tail poking out of her robes.

This was surprising, surely. But not as surprising as what happened next. She lunged forward and swung her mace, not blindly, but towards _Gourry_.

"Ah! Filia!" Lina shrieked. Gourry shouted out and scrambled to get out of the way, and Lina jumped in and held her hands out to catch the mace in mid-swing. She missed, but it threw Filia off. She sailed harmlessly past Gourry, who ran off with another cry.

"Filia-san!" Amelia cried. "What are you doing?"

Filia froze, her mace held high above her head. She blinked, her eyes focussing on the small group in front of her. "Lina-san?" she said, sounding confused. "Amelia-san, Zelgadis-san...but I thought..." she trailed off, her eyes falling on Gourry again, who was now hiding behind Zelgadis. Her eyes flared, and she bared her teeth.

Something clicked in the back of Lina's mind. She had only seen Filia act that way once before, and it certainly wasn't towards Gourry.

"Gourry-san," Filia said slowly, her eye twitching. "You ARE Gourry-san, aren't you?"

Everyone but Lina exchanged confused glances with each other. "Filia, what exactly are you implying?" Zelgadis wondered, his hands up, perpetually waiting for the mace to fall.

"Big Sis!" a voice called from inside the shop. Soon, an orange-furred face poked out of the door. "Did you get him, Big Sis?"

"Jillas-san!" Amelia called, waving, a smile on her face. Lina wanted to throttle her, but the look on Filia's face was too haunting to ignore.

Slowly, Filia eased herself out of the fighting position, holding her mace between her hands. Her eyes were still blazing, but she seemed to have gotten it under control. "I apologise," she said carefully, her voice wavering a little. "I had thought I felt..." she trailed off, then shook her head. She turned to Lina and smiled. "It's nice to see you. Come inside for some tea! It's getting colder."

Without another word, Filia turned and walked back to the shop, a perfect picture of serenity. The sight of her tail still rigid under her robes was the only thing that ruined the illusion.

Everyone was gaping at her. Everyone but Lina.

"What the hell was that about?" Gourry croaked out.

Lina smiled slowly. "I think I'm starting to understand," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Zelgadis asked, his eyes narrow.

Lina shook her head. "Let's have some tea," was her answer.

She followed Filia, and soon, the other three followed her, confused as ever.

Inside the shop, Filia was as kind and nice as ever. In fact, if Lina didn't know any better, she would have thought that perhaps she had imagined her homicidal greeting.

"It's been far too long," Filia said happily, as everyone sat down around her floor table. As everyone stripped off their outerwear and got comfortable, Jillas went around and served the tea. When he reached Lina, she scowled at him, which earned her a sneer in return and a bit of a spill of tea on the tabletop.

When his back was turned, Lina covered her mouth, trying to smother her laughter. Amelia sent her a look that plainly stated that she thought Lina was being immature, and Zelgadis ignored her. Gourry, however, was grinning, and she found herself grateful that at least SOMEONE shared her sense of humour.

When Filia sat down, Lina kept an eye on her, flicking her gaze from her to Gourry. When Gourry unbuckled the creepy lookalike, Filia's eyes flared again, but so subtly that it was hard to follow. It was then that Lina knew for sure, and, despite the tea, she felt sick.

They carried on with some small talk for a while, Lina and Jillas exchanging faces behind Filia's back, when Lina decided to get right to the point. "The truth is, Filia, this time around, our visit isn't a pleasure trip."

Filia nodded slowly, her eyes downcast. "I figured as much," she admitted. "You wouldn't have included Amelia-san or Zelgadis-san if otherwise." She looked up. "What can I do for you today?"

Lina sighed, giving Gourry a look. He looked blank for a moment, then blinked and reached to his side, grabbing the sword. "Do you know how to open this?" he asked quietly, still a little wary of her. "We've tried everything, and nothing works!"

Filia eyed the sword closely, not touching it. Lina watched her, and sure enough, saw the dragon's lip curl a little at the sight of it.

_Bingo_, Lina thought absently.

With some trepidation, Filia reached out and took the sword with one hand. The moment her fingers made contact with the hilt, she covered her mouth, making a sickening retching sound, her fingers jerking back. She got to her feet in a hurry, backing up as far as she could before hitting the wall behind her.

"Filia-san!" Amelia got to her feet, leaning over and touching Filia on the shoulder lightly. "What's wrong?"

With her hand still over her mouth, Filia said, her voice muffled, "Just touching that thing makes me sick. I don't know what it is, but it certainly isn't a friend to dragons."

Zelgadis frowned, and Gourry set the sword on the table, looking at it as if it had betrayed him. "When we touched it, we didn't get a reaction like that," Zelgadis admitted.

Lina knew she would sound like a jerk, but she had to ask, anyway. "Could you try again? Just try and get it open?"

Filia looked pale, but she also saw how important this was to Lina. Slowly, she sat down again, reached forward, and closed her hand over the hilt of the sword. She bit her lip, sweat springing to her brow, but she gritted her teeth and, with her other hand, grabbed the sheath, tugging on it as hard as she could.

She managed to keep a hold on it for a good minute before she made a horrible choking noise, dropped the sword, and ran out of the room, her hands over her mouth. Jillas, with a shout of dismay, followed her, and soon they heard the horrible sound of retching, accompanied by Jillas trying to be comforting.

Uneasily, everyone else looked at the sword.

"Lina-san," Amelia said weakly, "what IS that thing?"

Lina smiled slowly. It was the smile she often had when she knew that she had been fooled, and was just working it out now. It gave everyone a slight chill.

"I'm not sure yet," she said softly, her hands clenched into fists. "But I have a feeling."

Before she could elaborate, Filia came back, looking embarrassed and still a little green. Jillas was hovering around her, but she ignored him. Instead, she sat down, stared right into Lina's eyes, and said, "Start from the beginning."

So she did. She told Filia everything from the very start, from the time in the library, to the visit in Seyruun. Filia's eyes got darker and darker as each minute passed, and when Lina was done, they were narrowed..

"May I see the necklace?" she asked softly. Lina complied, handing her the white orb from her pocket. Filia examined it closely, and, to Lina's relief, seemed to not have any adverse reaction to it. When Filia touched it, the contents shimmered in reaction.

"It reacts to goodwill," Filia announced, her voice still quiet.

Lina nodded. "I thought so, too," she agreed.

Filia looked up at her. "You know what this is, don't you?"

Lina sighed. "Yep, and frankly, I'm really pissed off about it."

Everyone but Gourry gaped at her. Gourry, it appeared, had dozed off during Lina's explanation. "You know what it is, Lina-san?" Amelia demanded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I wanted to be sure!" she shot back, baring her teeth. "That sword IS the Sword of Light," she went on, her voice calmer now. "But THIS is the actual 'light' of the Sword of Light," she pointed to the necklace, still in Filia's hands.

Gourry seemed to come back to life at the words 'Sword of Light'. He stared at the sword, still sheathed in front of them on the table. "So, then, this is my sword?" he wondered.

"That's impossible," Zelgadis protested, his eyes fixated on the sword. "Sirius took it back to his world. He said that it belonged there."

Lina rubbed her chin. "That is the fact of the matter, isn't it?" she agreed. "But it's also fact that, without a doubt, these two are connected, and the only way they can be connected is if they're one and the same." She growled. "What pisses me off is that they ruined a perfectly good sword!" She slammed her fists on the table, scaring the daylights out of everyone. "How am I supposed to experiment with a broken sword?!"

No one bothered to answer her. Their annoyed expressions spoke volumes. She blushed and looked away, scratching her cheek, deciding not to elaborate.

"But why would Filia-san react so badly to the sword?" Amelia wondered, eyeing it suspiciously. "If all that's in there is a sword, then shouldn't it be just a sword?"

Lina shook her head, exchanging a look with Gourry. "When Gourry and I first fought a Mazoku with the Sword of Light, it said something about knowing the Sword, because they were 'kin'," she explained. "That means that, somehow, the Sword IS a Mazoku."

She paused, thinking. "Which, if you think about it, makes sense. Dark Star created them, so of course they would have to be Mazoku in nature." She paused again. "And, naturally, as a dragon who serves the Flare Lord, coming into contact with a Mazoku would definitely be a negative experience."

Filia and Jillas exchanged shocked looks. "Then, when I thought it was Xellos who was coming…" she trailed off, blushing bright red.

Gourry rubbed the back of his head. "You thought that I was a Mazoku?" he asked.

Filia sputtered. "I didn't know! All I could sense was a bloodlust that only a Mazoku could give off!"

Gourry frowned. "I don't sense a bloodlust," he admitted.

Lina nodded. "Of course not. Filia is sensitive to it, because she's trained to be."

That seemed to placate Filia a little. She sat back, still blushing. Jillas patted her knee, but again she ignored him. "You have to destroy that thing, Lina-san," she said suddenly.

Lina gaped at her. "Why would I do that?" she demanded.

Filia threw up her hands. "Because it's a Mazoku!" she cried. "Anything good that came from it has been separated from it!"

"Which is an interesting thing all on its own," Zelgadis broke in. "Why would Sirius go through the process of separating the two and send it back here, when no good could come from it?"

"Sirius-san clearly had no idea it would be found!" Amelia burst out. "He was just thinking of the best solution!"

"This is also the same being who wanted to dump Dark Star on us in the first place," Zelgadis answered flatly.

Amelia spun towards him. "He changed his mind!"

This was going nowhere fast, Lina could see. Already she was starting to get a headache, and clearly the answers wouldn't come all at once. "Look," she said, rubbing her temples. "We've pretty much established what the sword is, which is about five times close to the truth than where we were in the morning. We can figure out the rest in the morning, after we've had a good meal." She shot a blatant look at Filia.

Filia, however, wasn't deterred. "So then, after knowing all that you do, you STILL won't destroy the sword?"

Lina looked at her with a pained expression on her face. She was very, very close to whining. Seeing the look, Gourry stepped in. "We can't make definite decisions on an empty stomach," he pointed out. Lina shot him a grateful look.

This seemed to be the perfect thing to say. Filia jumped up, bright red again. "I'm so sorry!" she stammered. "We got so caught up that I forgot to be a good hostess!" she turned on her heel and bumped into Jillas. "Jillas-san!" she said firmly. "Start getting a huge meal ready!" When he darted into the kitchen to comply, she followed.

"Why did you change the subject?" Zelgadis asked Lina quietly.

Lina looked annoyed. "I really am hungry, you know."

"Plus, night," Gourry chimed in, pointing at the window.

"Keep that sword out of my sight!" Filia suddenly shouted from the kitchen. "I don't want to see it for the rest of the visit!"

Gourry carefully pulled the sword off the table and hid it under a few cushions. He was incredibly uneasy about the sword now that they knew what it was. Strangely, however, he was comforted by the thought that, with the necklace close by, there could be a way to get the sword back to the way it was supposed to be. Ever since he had lost the sword, he had felt significantly useless, despite Lina's protests to the contrary.

He watched as Lina eyed the necklace closely, a frown on her face. No, he thought, she didn't make him feel useless. The opposite, actually.

Lina looked up, noticing Gourry's gaze on her. She reddened, her eyes narrowing. "What are you staring at?" she demanded.

Zelgadis looked away casually. "You would think that, after yesterday, she would be used to it by now."

Amelia nodded. "I think so, too."

Lina growled. "What did you say?" she demanded through clenched teeth.

A crash interrupted them, followed by Filia screaming at the top of her lungs. The four stared into the kitchen, before Lina started laughing again, everything momentarily forgotten in the domestic dispute.


	9. Worse Than a Treefrog

Dinner went without incident, although both Gravos and Jillas were sulky, and Filia was quietly seething with anger. Both Lina and Gourry found the whole thing hilarious. Amelia was trying very hard not to find it funny, and Zelgadis simply ignored everyone.

Once the dishes were cleared and everything was cleaned up, Filia was instantly serious once more. "What I don't understand is this, Lina-san," she said bluntly. "Why is this all happening now, and all at once?"

Lina slapped Gourry's hands away from her after-dinner cookies with a growl, then turned to Filia, speaking between mouthfuls. "That is the question, isn't it?" she agreed. "It's been a couple of years at least since the Mazoku have harassed us seriously. I suppose this is overdue."

"So you think that everything, the sword, the necklace, all of that, is part of some plot from the Mazoku?" Zelgadis wondered, resting his chin on his hands.

Lina licked the crumbs away from her lips shamelessly. "I'm not sure," she admitted, "but it does seem somewhat fishy, doesn't it?"

Amelia slammed her fists on her table. "We have to get down to the bottom of this!" she declared, surprising no one. "The Mazoku shouldn't be allowed to manipulate us like this!"

"That's what we're DOING, Amelia," Lina muttered, giving her an annoyed look.

Amelia nodded, ignoring Lina. "If you ask me, it sounds like they NEED us," she went on, her fists in the air. "And thus are using us, innocent allies of Justice!"

Lina opened her mouth to say something caustic, but then stopped, blinking in surprise. "You know, you may have a point."

Everyone looked at her in surprise, all except Amelia, who was nodding smugly. "How do you figure?" Zelgadis asked.

"Well, think about it," Lina said, her eyes out of focus, deep in thought. "If this all IS a plot, they certainly went out of their way to put all of the pieces together for us to find. Why would they bother if they could do it themselves?"

"For the free meals?" Gourry piped in suddenly.

"That's hardly enough reason to harass us intricately!" Lina snapped.

Filia looked calmly at Lina, despite the fact that her eyes were blazing. "So, then, you're going to destroy it?"

Lina frowned, looking right at the spot where Gourry had hidden it. "We probably should, shouldn't we?" she agreed.

Amelia, who was still standing, looked thoughtful. "What if there was a way to destroy the Mazoku part, then place the Light part back into the sword?"

"Our lives are never that easy," Zelgadis answered darkly.

Everyone gave him uncomfortable looks, which he decided to ignore.

"In any case, it's getting late," Filia broke in, shattering the gloomy silence that Zelgadis had cast. "Anything we do, we can do in the morning."

Lina refused to admit it, but she was definitely in agreeance with Filia. She was tired, sore, and desperately in need of a soft bed to sleep on. She stood up, stretched, and smiled at Gourry. "Shall we take our usual room?" she asked casually.

Filia blinked. "My, how forward of you, Lina-san!" she said. "Usually, when you stay, you wait for Gourry-san to decide."

Amelia smirked, her eyes sparking. "That's because she's-"

Lina shot her the most poisonous look she could muster, Amelia went pale and backed away slowly, her hands up.

Gourry, however, was as oblivious as ever. He stood up and nodded. "The biggest guest room, right?"

Lina turned away from Amelia and nodded happily. "You got it!"

Zelgadis stood up, and Filia followed suit, realising that she was the only one not on her feet. He gave Lina an annoyed look. "Why do you get the biggest room?"

Lina stuck her tongue out at him. "Because I'm Lina Inverse," she answered, which explained nothing.

Amelia scowled at her. "I should get the biggest room because I'm the most important!"

"Pfft," Lina waved her hand at the younger girl. "Typical political self-righteousness." She brushed past everyone and darted towards the coveted guestroom.

"What did you say?!" Amelia shrieked.

Lina's cackling from the other room was the only reply. Gourry shrugged and went to join her, scratching the back of his head.

Amelia puffed out her cheeks in her anger. Zelgadis, however, did something that not only healed the anger from the past couple of days between them, but also surprised everyone who saw it.

He reached forward with both hands and pressed his palms down on Amelia's cheeks. The puff of air exploded out, making Amelia blush.

"You and I still have some things we need to discuss anyway," Zelgadis said, smiling, leaving his hands where they were.

She nodded, smiling. "Right," she agreed.

Filia smiled, clapping once. "Then, now that everyone's happy, let's get you to bed!" she pushed them out of the dining area and towards the other guestroom, once again slipping into the role of hostess.

No one expected anything less.

X X X

Despite how tired and worn out she was, Lina found herself away well into the night. Her eyes just opened, and at first, she wondered if Gourry had smacked her in the face in his sleep. However, surprisingly enough, he was mostly on his side of the bed, snoring loudly, the only thing on her side being a leg.

She frowned, chewing her lip. No, it wasn't that. Something else had woken her up, something she knew was intuition, or a premonition. Carefully, she slid out of the bed, tugged her clothes on, and slipped out of the shop, keeping her dagger in her hand.

The night was cold, and she shivered, looking around at the moonlit expanse of white before her. The snow had stuck the ground, and while it wasn't deep, it was still a nuisance to trudge through. Grumbling, Lina walked through it, letting her body guide her.

After about ten minutes of trekking, she stopped. Filia's shop backed on a few close-knit trees, not enough to call a glade, but enough to offer some cover in the sunlight. She had stopped right in front of the biggest tree, and she focused, looking around, then up.

Perched on the branches of the tree was a priest, dressed in black robes with a plain pattern design along the hems. He wore a broad smile, and his eyes were closed into crescents. His purple hair, cut across his forehead, was black in the dim light. In his hands, he held a shabby staff.

"Good evening, Lina-san," Xellos called.

Lina felt a sinking in her gut. She sighed, deeply, the sigh going through her entire body. "Hello, Xellos," she mumbled.

"My, you don't sound happy to see me," he said, sounding sulky.

Lina crossed her arms. "Usually your sudden reappearances into our lives mean trouble rather than joy," was her reply.

Xellos shrugged. "True enough," he agreed.

There was a silence. Lina didn't want to take the bait that he so annoyingly offered in front of her. It was bad enough that he was there. Besides, she could guess the reason why.

Xellos sighed, realising that he lost the battle this time. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here," he said.

Lina smiled, leaning against the tree he was perched in. "I can take a wild guess," she admitted.

Xellos shifted in the branches. "Well, then, let me tell you a story instead," he said.

"Oh, joy," Lina slid down, sitting on the ground, leaning back against the tree. "A midnight story." Her voice was flat.

"It's closer to two, actually," Xellos chirped.

Lina rolled her eyes. "Okay, Xellos, I bite. Tell me a story." She knew she was feeding into what he wanted, but she was wide awake now. Besides, she was curious. She knew that if she ignored him, the wonder from what she missed would bug her. Who needed that kind of annoyance in their lives?

Xellos clapped once. "Wonderful." She heard him shifting again, and when she looked up, he had swung himself onto a lower branch, closer to her. She scowled at him, but he smiled back, undeterred.

"Once upon a time," Xellos began, and Lina groaned from the use of the cliché. Xellos ignored her. "There was a Dark Lord from another world. When he was born, he set a task upon himself like all good Dark Lords do, and went about creating minions for himself.

"Now, this Dark Lord wasn't the most orthodox, and some say that he was a little off in the head. No matter the reason, he created his minions in a strange manner. Using parts of himself like usual, he molded and formed his minions into strange, usable weapons, ones that could be used on his behalf, or used to destroy him.

"These minions, or weapons, could be easily dominated with the force of a person's will, to the point of utter control by the wielder.

"Now what most people don't know is that the true power of these weapons lies within, underneath the bonds and casings that entrap them. If one were to free the Mazoku from these casings, these minions, these parts of the Dark Lord, Dark Star, would be very powerful indeed. They would also be free of any control, save from their own master. Not even willpower could stop them."

Xellos went silence, so Lina spoke up. "So, while I understand most of what you said," she admitted, "there's one part that doesn't make any sense to me. Why would Dark Star imprison his minions in the first place? If they could be dominated easily when within those casings, why encase them at all?"

"Ah, only Dark Star would know that," Xellos replied. "And, like I said, he isn't the most orthodox of Dark Lords, is he?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Way to avoid answering," she mumbled.

"Thank you!" Xellos replied happily.

Lina decided to ignore that. "So, then, what's the point, Xellos?" she wondered, giving him a glare. "We already had figured out that the sword was a Mazoku. Besides," unconsciously, her hand went to her neck, where the necklace once again hung from its chain, "the sword looks like it's broken, anyways. We can't even open it."

Xellos was quiet for a moment. When she looked up at him, he suddenly spoke. "What if, theoretically, the aspect of the weapon that controlled the Mazoku within was somehow severed? Or removed? What do you think would happen?"

Lina made a face. "Don't ask me to think, Xellos," she snapped. "Not when it's this early in the day."

Xellos chuckled. "Fair enough, Lina-san. Shall I just explain it to you, then?" He didn't wait for her to say anything. "The Mazoku would be free, Lina-san. Without the means to control it by willpower, then the Mazoku would be free to burst out on its own command."

Lina frowned. "How could a part that it was created with suddenly vanish like that?" she wondered. "Shouldn't that aspect be a part of the Mazoku in the first place?"

"These are interesting times, Lina-san," Xellos said. "With the barrier broken, new possibilities are being awakened. Things that were once kept immobile are now free to walk the lands once barred to them."

Lina got a sinking feeling when he said that. It made her think of the Five, now Three, Retainers of the Mazoku Barrier.

However, instead of speaking her thoughts, she glowered at Xellos. "Why can't you answer me straight?" she demanded.

Xellos smiled. "Where would the fun in that be?"

"Up your ass," she snapped. "Besides, while it's nice to have a bedtime story, that still doesn't explain why you're here." Her words were dripping sarcasm now. "I mean, it's nice to hear my theories confirmed, but consider the source."

Xellos looked a little hurt now. "That was harsh," he said lightly. "You act as if you're not happy to see me after all of this time!"

Lina rolled her eyes again. "And you act as if you're surprised!" she shot back.

"I am!" he said convincingly.

Lina shot him a disbelieving look. He smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Sort of?" he added lamely.

"But you do bring up a good point," Lina acknowledged, getting to her feet slowly. She deliberately made her moves slow, drawing out the moment. "Why are you here after so long? Why have you decided to grace us with your infuriating presence? And why did you even bother going into detail about Dark Star's weapons?"

Xellos watched her, his eyes opening halfway. "I would have thought that it would be obvious," he said.

The faint glitter of purple in the night light sent a chill down Lina's spine. Sometimes, it was hard to forget who Xellos really was, especially when he went out of his way to act benign and unassuming. However, all he had to do was open his eyes, and all of those facades vanished.

Lina clenched her fists, her whole body going rigid. "You want the sword." It wasn't a question.

Xellos nodded once. "Of course I do." He smiled wider, and it was then that Lina could feel it in the air: the faint shimmer of his bloodlust.

Lina shifted, easing into a fighting position so smoothly that even Xellos wasn't sure when she had done it. She held out her hands, and from the right, a spark of light glittered to life.

Xellos suddenly leaned back on his branch, his eyes closing. The bloodlust dissipated, although Lina fancied that she could still taste it in the air.

"You're certainly not awake enough to fight me seriously," Xellos said calmly. Lina snorted, but he ignored that. "And with time, I'm sure I can convince you to give the sword to me freely." In a fluid movement, he stood up. "Until then," he sang. With a wave and a rush of displaced air, he vanished.

Lina opened her mouth to protest, but before a sound could come out, he was gone. With a growl, she let the Fireball fade.

This just got a whole lot more complicated, was her thought.

With a shout, she kicked at the tree as hard as she could. She then yelped, hoping around on one foot. When the pain eased, she stormed away, muttering under her breath the whole time.

It wasn't fair, she thought. Just when things are looking good, and just when things seem like they're all lining up and making sense, another complication came up.

Never a dull moment, she thought bitterly.

When she made it back to the room she shared with Gourry, she stood in the middle of the room, her eyes on the sleeping swordsman. She thought about waking him up to talk about it, and she knew that it would be the right thing to do, but something stopped her. She would regret it in the morning, when he whined at her for not waking him, but at that moment, she just wanted to pretend that things hadn't just got worse.

As she crawled in beside Gourry, she wondered what Xellos had meant: 'I'm sure I can convince you to give the sword to me freely.' Meaning what?

She stewed about it for a while, the covers held right up to her chin, before her previous exhaustion caught up to her again, and she drifted off, silently hoping that the whole thing had been a dream.


	10. Barbecue for Four

"So," Lina began casually, reaching to her left side with her fingers outstretched. It was morning, and everyone had gradually woken up to some degree or another and gathered at the table once more for a breakfast (or perhaps, more accurately, brunch) worthy of sonnets. When she felt that everyone was awake enough, Lina had decided to break the news.

"I had a visit from Xellos last night," she concluded, her eyes on the slice of meat she was reaching for on Zelgadis's plate. Normally, she wouldn't dare reach for his food, but today, she was feeling reckless.

"WHAT?!!" both Filia and Amelia shrieked at the same time, in the same pitch, getting to their feet at the same time.

Zelgadis's eyes flared dangerously, and he slammed down his teacup. "Xellos was HERE?" he demanded.

Lina jerked her hand away from Zelgadis's plate at the sight of his anger. Her eyes were now on Gourry, watching and waiting…

Gourry looked down at his plate, looking painfully lost in thought. "Okay," he said, chewing on his lip. "I really feel like I should know this…"

Everyone but Lina fell over. Instead, she just glared at him calmly and said, "You're just being an ass, aren't you?" in a low, menacing voice.

Gourry rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "You never know, do you?"

Amelia leapt to her feet in a rage. "Gourry-san!" she exploded. "You can't seriously have forgotten Xellos-san!"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Of course he hasn't," she answered before he could open his mouth. "He's just being a bastard. Can we move on now?" she finished, overriding Amelia's next shout.

Zelgadis was calmly sitting at the table in a flash, as if nothing had happened. "That would probably be best," was he reply.

Filia, however, was less than willing. "Why would you joke about something like that, Gourry-san?" she demanded. "Xellos is the last person you should joke about!" She shuddered from head to toe.

Gourry lowered his hand. "But even Xellos jokes about himself!" he protested.

Lina gritted her teeth. "Like I was saying…" she said, her voice strained.

"So, then, I had been right about sensing that bastard namagomi in the area!" Filia burst out suddenly. "And you all treated me like I was overreacting!"

"You were, and are," Zelgadis put in unhelpfully.

Amelia turned on him. "Maybe you're under-reacting!"

Zelgadis looked at her in disbelief. "Not you, too," he said in quiet dismay.

"You should have more faith in my priestess abilities!" Filia was going on, her hand on her forehead tragically.

Lina gaped at them. She couldn't believe it. One mention of Xellos and already everyone was acting like a bunch of loons. Xellos would be a fool not to be on the sidelines, devouring as much negative emotion as he could from this group of idiots.

Even Gourry was an idiot, she thought bitterly, watching him eat the very slice of meat off Zelgadis's plate that she had so coveted.

"Could we focus?" she tried again, close to shouting. "You've all exploded without hearing the REAL problem!"

Everyone shut up at that. "Real problem?" Amelia echoed, looking fearful. "What real problem?"

Lina sighed. "You know how things have been coming together for us rather quickly and nicely into a little straight line?" She waved in the general direction of where the sword was hidden. "All centering on that thing?"

When everyone but Gourry nodded, she went on, deciding to ignore the fact that Gourry's gaze was now fixed on HER plate.

"I was right," she said grimly. "It's because of the Mazoku."

She then went on to tell them the gist of her conversation with Xellos. By then end, she even had Gourry's attention. And everyone shared that same look: nervousness.

Zelgadis then broke the silence by exhaling sharply. "One of the warriors of Dark Star, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "We should have realised this when we were fighting Valgaav."

"Probably," Lina admitted. "But it's too late for that now. Now, we have to figure out what to do."

Amelia was frowning. "If the Mazoku wanted it so badly, why didn't they get it while we were asleep?" she wondered.

Lina propped her chin on her hand, looking wary. "Probably not as fun that way."

Filia growled a little. "It's so typical of them, isn't it? Once we all have our lives in harmony, they swoop down and manipulate us."

Lina smiled. "You can never be too sure as to who started it, Filia," she shot back.

Filia went pink, but didn't comment on that. Instead, she said, "Normally I would be the first at your side, Lina-san, but this time I have to sit out."

Amelia and Gourry looked shocked by this, but Zelgadis just sipped his tea. Lina, of course, had been expecting it. "Someone has to take care of Val, huh?" she wondered.

Filia's cheeks went even pinker. "Of course," she agreed.

Lina sat up and looked around her, meeting everyone's eyes. "It's safe to assume that once we leave, Xellos and whoever else will mount an attack on us."

Amelia bit her lip and nodded, Zelgadis merely blinked, and Gourry poked something on his plate.

Lina fought the urge to kick him. "So I guess the question I have for you all is whether or not you want to wait here until I have a good lead or come along for the ride."

Amelia looked appalled. "I'm not going to quit now," she answered. "Who else will show Xellos-san the path to true Justice?" Her tone was so calm, Lina wondered if that should worry her.

Zelgadis shrugged. "I wouldn't mind landing a few shots on Xellos," he admitted between sips of tea, his eyes closed.

Gourry had graduated from poking to picking up the food and shaking it in the air. When Lina gave him a pointed look, he paused, looked up, and gave her the most withering look she had ever seen. "Don't even," was all he said, before he continued.

Lina blinked, as did everyone else. She always made sure to ask everyone around her, especially Gourry. People had the right to change their minds. But, she suddenly thought, giving way to a small smile, I suppose Gourry won't ever change his mind. The thought comforted her more than she would ever admit.

She hadn't realised she was staring at Gourry until Zelgadis cleared his throat. She jumped, her cheeks igniting, before sitting up again and clapping her hands together once. "Alright, so we're agreed then; with the exception of Filia, we're all going?"

Everyone nodded. "But please let me at least replenish your traveling supplies before you go," Filia added.

Lina nodded gratefully. "That would be nice, thanks."

The next hour consisted of a flurry of activity, involving hurried packing and Filia shrieking orders to Gravos and Jillas. There wasn't a calm moment for the entire duration, and Lina found herself wondering whether she would feel calm again for a long time.

By the time everyone was ready, Filia's voice was hoarse and both Gravos and Jillas were brooding in separate corners of the house. The somewhat taboo sword was back on Gourry's hip, and the necklace was back around Lina's neck. Goodbyes were exchanged, with promises to keep Filia posted on what happened.

As soon as everyone was outside, as if on command, they stopped, waiting.

When nothing happened, Lina looked around, her eyes especially scanning the trees and shadows. But, like the others, she saw nothing.

"Huh," Gourry said calmly. "Imagine that."

Zelgadis met Lina's eyes, and she sighed, returning the look. Zelgadis knew all too well how she felt on the matter, and he smiled, faintly. She just wanted to get it over with, and it amused him.

"Let's go," she growled, mostly at Zelgadis.

They started on their way.

X X X

Amelia still looked baffled, twenty minutes later. "It's rare that your intuition is off, Lina-san," she said. "Maybe you lost it when you and Gourry-san...?"

"Um, yes, let's not go there," she snapped. "And besides, that's just not true, seeing as how that same intuition guided me to Xellos yesterday."

Amelia looked at her, her expression bewildered. "But isn't it true what they say?" she wondered. "That once it happens, you start to lose things magically?"

Zelgadis cleared his throat. "This really isn't an important conversation."

Amelia apparently disagreed. "Lina-san is a woman of the world now!" she protested. "She's bound to know more things!"

Lina swung around and glared at the smaller girl. "You make it sound like I'm open for business!" she snapped. "And since it's something new, how am I supposed to know everything about it?!"

Gourry frowned. "Am I missing something, here?" he wondered. Lina could tell that, this time, he actually was confused. "Is this the same thing as 'that time of the month'?"

"Oh, gods, WHY does it always come back to THAT?!" Lina shouted.

Zelgadis stopped, suddenly. When Lina looked over, he already had thrown up a Balus Wall. Lina quickly followed suit, and an instant later, a hail of fireballs showered down upon them.

The Walls held, but only just, which meant that whoever was attacking would give them all a run for their money.

When it was over, Lina noticed that both Gourry and Amelia had taken the time to prep their own weapons: Amelia's fists shone with Visfrank, and Gourry had out his sword.

Lina gritted her teeth, feeling the sudden rush of bloodlust fill the air. It wasn't Xellos's, as it wasn't as strong or as sickening, but it was still pretty strong.

"Zel," she said quietly, her eyes still scanning around her frantically.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he answered.

Amelia paled suddenly, the colour draining from her cheeks in one sweep. "Ugh," she groaned, the spell vanishing from her hands in an instant. She covered her mouth hurriedly. "What is that….horrible feeling?"

Lina felt it an instant later, and, judging by Zelgadis's sudden tense-up, he could, as well. It was like being fed the most rotten food, only to wash it down with sour milk. It was taking Lina every single strand of willpower she had not to get sick all over Gourry.

Speaking of which, Gourry seemed to be the only one untouched by it. He looked around him, confused and a little panicked. "Are you okay?" he demanded. "What is it?"

As if in reply, another shower of fireballs assaulted them. This time, only Zelgadis managed to throw up a barrier in time. Amelia and Lina were too busy holding back the nausea.

In times of panic, when one's leader is down and out, and no one else is there to step up, the assumed underdog steps in and proves everyone wrong. Although Gourry lacked the magical talents that his friends had in abundance, he made up for it in instinctual capacity and sheer physical strength.

Despite having no idea what exactly was making everyone but him sick, he could easily guess that it had something to do with the fact that they were magic users. As such, Gourry felt that it was up to him to fix it, being the only one not affected.

With his keen eyesight, Gourry scanned the area around him, his vision hindered by the flashes of fire and wind magic battling eachother. He tensed, his hands gripping onto the hilt of his sword tight. If he focused, he could barely sense something to his left, something malevolent, something...off…

Finally, the latest attack ceased. Zelgadis dropped the spell and hunched over, giving in. Both Lina and Amelia went green at that, both girls hurriedly looking away and trying not to do the same.

"Lina," Gourry's voice, tense and serious, drew her eyes away. He was standing normally, his sword ready. "You okay?"

Lina wondered if she could talk without messing him. She decided not to risk it, and shook her head.

"Can you manage a spell?" his eyes ticked over to hers, and though she saw worry there, she also saw that he had a plan.

She slowly joined him at his side, her nerves on edge, waiting for another attack to come again. "Where?" she croaked out, knowing what that look in his eyes meant.

Gourry moved his eyes to his right, once, before looking back at her. She followed the direction with her own eyes, and couldn't see anything. However, she had learned early in their relationship that he had far better eyesight than she did, and she knew when to trust him.

Softly, slowly, she started chanting under her breath.

By the time she reached the last line, the third attack was on them, and neither Amelia nor Zelgadis had the ability to throw up a shield. It hit full force, the impact rocking the entire secluded area.

All four of them tried to get out of the way, and in the end, managed to avoid the worst of the damage. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, pretty much everyone had cuts and bruises on any exposed skin, but were otherwise unharmed.

And to add to that, the force of the hits caused the spell Lina had been chanting to be interrupted.

"Augh," Lina growled. She started to say more, but instead had to cover her mouth and breathe through her nose to keep from throwing up.

"This is ridiculous," Zelgadis snarled, his voice strained. "This isn't even a fair fight."

Amelia shook her head. "Mazoku," she mumbled, "don't fight fair."

Gourry, in a split second, decided to take it all into his own hands before another attack came along. Holding his sword high, he darted towards the shadows, towards the source of that weird feeling. He heard shouts of protest, but ignored them. Being helpless was on thing, but being the only one unaffected and still doing nothing was another, unacceptable, thing.

When the feeling was strongest, he stopped, turned his whole body, and with a shout, swung his sword downwards as hard as he could. At the last moment, it looked as if the sword's blade shimmered with white light, but he decided that it was a trick of the eye.

There was a shout, not of pain, but of annoyance, and the sound of rushing air. The feeling immediately vanished. At the same time, the spell on the other three vanished. All three slid to the ground, on all fours, breathing gratefully.

When Gourry went back to join them, only Lina was on her feet, albeit still hunched over. "What was it?" she asked him.

He shrugged, a little unnerved. "Dunno, but I think I pissed it off when I found it. It's gone now."

Lina laughed without humour. "Even his minions are assholes!" she replied. She stood up her full height and brushed the hair away from her face, looking over at Zelgadis and Amelia. "Are you two gonna live?"

Zelgadis stood up slowly, a hand on his forehead. "Do we want to?" was his reply.

Amelia soon followed him. "That was terrible," she admitted. "I couldn't even cast a Flow Break."

Lina had wondered about that. "Why not?" she asked.

Amelia looked green at the thought. "Every time I started chanting it, the nausea got worse."

There was an uneasy silence. No one could think of what to say, or what to suggest against a Mazoku that could disable three out of four of them without even trying. Eventually, as if by unspoken agreement, they started to walk again, but slower, with more caution.

And around Lina's neck, the necklace's gem burned.


	11. Going Around in Squiggles

"That," Zelgadis later said, "was a complete disaster."

Lina sighed, rubbing her forehead in both annoyance from failure and from the obviousness of Zelgadis' observation."To say the least," she muttered.

"What do we do now?" Amelia wondered, sounding gloomier than usual. "We can't just give up."

"Yeah, but if we keep going, we could be leaving ourselves open for another attack," Lina replied, looking faintly green. "And that's something I do NOT want a repeat of."

"Agreed," Zelgadis said lightly, allowing for a small smile. "That was probably one of the most embarrassing situations that I have ever been in, and I have been in alot."

"You and me both, buddy," Lina agreed.

"Can I ask something?" Gourry wondered, scratching his head a little. "What exactly happened to you guys that made you stop?"

All three asked shared a similar expression of nausea, which made Gourry reconsider pressing for more answers. Despite the fact that they had some time to not only settle their stomachs, but make a hasty camp in order to discuss their dilemma, proved not long enough for them to be rid of the horrid experience.

"It was...gross," Amelia said mildly, poking a twig into the tiny fire. The day was hot enough, so the fire served only as a stove and not a furnace.

Gourry's eyes were wide now. "Gross? How so?"

Lina sighed. "Something made us feel sick," she said shortly, wishing that they could pretend it never happened.

Gourry frowned. "But I didn't feel anything like that," he admitted.

"That's true," Zelgadis agreed, rubbing his chin. "Why weren't you affected?"

Amelia surrendered her twig to the flames. "Why don't we just as the Mazoku?" she muttered.

Lina reached over and gave the princess's head a light shove. "Increase those pep pills, miss," she chided with a smile. The last thing Lina wanted was morale to be in the gutter because of one horrible incident...no matter how horrible it had been.

Gourry, however, had copied Zelgadis and also had a hand on his chin in thought. "Could it be a magic thing?" he wondered off-handedly.

Zelgadis dropped his hand, not out of annoyance, but from surprise. He and Lina met eachother's gazes, Lina's mouth open, Zelgadis' pressed shut.

"Ah," Amelia nodded, her voice only an iota lighter. "Since Gourry-san can't use magic, then perhaps that was why only we were affected."

"White magic," Lina and Zelgadis said together. Both Amelia and Gourry looked over at them. "Each of us," Lina elaborated, "to some degree, can use white magic, right?"

"I can't," Gourry said apologetically.

"Exactly!" Lina agreed, grinning. It was the grin she wore when she finally figured something out, but it was something she did not like. "And Xellos, of course, knows that, so he sent one of his asshole minions to weaken us."

"Which worked," Zelgadis muttered.

"Okay, but even assuming that that's true," Amelia interjected, making Lina mad, "why would he leave Gourry-san alone?"

Lina jerked her hand at Gourry's hip, where the Sword of Light clone hung from his belt. "That's why!"

"Ah..." Amelia paled. "They were planning to leave Gourry-san undefended, so that..."

"Exactly," Lina growled, her eyes flashing in her anger. "Only they were fools, and didn't realise that Gourry is stronger than that."

Gourry nodded. "Seems careless to me," he replied. "One would think that Xellos would have warned them about that."

Lina frowned, her eyes narrowing. "Yes, indeed. Which brings us to ask the question: what exactly were they even trying to do back there, besides the obvious?"

"The obvious?" Gourry titled his head to one side. When the other three looked a little green again, he refrained from repeating his question.

A silence came over them, since no one seemed to know the answer to that question. Amelia, being who she was, decided to ask a new one.

"What should we do, then?" she wondered. "Even if we were able to break the seal on the sword and use the necklace to repair it - which seems unlikely in itself - that doesn't mean the Mazoku would leave us alone."

"Well, not entirely, but it would on the matter of the Sword," Lina agreed, "since it would be useless to them once the two parts are reunited together."

"Which is something that they definitely do not want," Zelgadis agreed.

"So if the sword were to be fixed, then they would leave us alone?" Gourry repeated.

Lina sighed. "Probably not," she admitted. "Even though the reason for the harassment was gone doesn't mean that they would be content with it. Revenge and so on."

"How petty," Gourry said mildly, frowning.

"But that still leaves us with the actually dilemma of trying to open the damned sword," Lina grumbled. "Amelia and Filia both couldn't do it, and they are the best shrine maidens that I know..." as she trailed off, her eyes went out of focus. Gourry seemed to be following her thoughts, because he slapped a fist into his palm.

"Sylphiel," they said together.

Zelgadis struggled not to roll his eyes. "I have a feeling that we'll be meeting with everyone from the past before long," he observed dryly.

"Oh, shut up," Lina shot back. "We met up with her before we met up with you."

Zelgadis looked surprised. Amelia, at the mention of that, looked watery-eyed. When Zelgadis shot her a confused look, she continued to look the same way.

Lina glared at the younger girl, and she turned off the waterworks, but still looked a little sad.

"Back to the New World!" Gourry exclaimed, looking a little excited. Lina frowned at him, but even her displeasure couldn't dampen his spirits at more travel and exploration. It was always a pleasure of his, and, Lina soon discovered, his excitement was catching.

"True," she nodded. "It would probably be best to, so to speak, return to the scene of the crime." She turned to Amelia. "When you heard from her last, was she still in that small town?"

Amelia shook her head. "Sylphiel-san tends to travel. She wants every priest to know her level of magic, in order to make the New World better."

"Noble, but annoying," Lina concluded.

Zelgadis leaned back, sighing a little. "If only we could fabricate some sort of spell to make communication over distance easier," he said wistfully.

Lina shot him a look. "Yes, like using small eyeball demons to deliver messages?"

Zelgadis gave her a sour look. "Sometimes you're just rude," he snapped, which oddly made her laugh.

"In any case," Lina continued, "our first course of action is to return to the town that Gourry and I initial found Sylphiel. From here, we can get some answers as to where she went, and see if she knows what to do about the sword."

"Can I ask something?" Gourry broke in.

Lina dreaded him doing so, but she nodded.

"I know it's a surprise coming from me, especially since I of all people would want my sword back, but..." he looked uneasy. "Do you really think that this is something we want to do?"

There was a silence, as each person considered this, actually considering it seriously, instead of brushing it off as usual Gourry-chatter.

It WAS a risk, Lina thought stonily. And from the sounds of it, if they got the sword unsealed before they learned how to reunite it with the necklace, it would complicate things, especially if the Mazoku got to them.

And Lina had been thinking about Gourry's sword dilemma for a while. While the sword he was using was well and good, it didn't suit his skills. There were times when he overused it and ended up having to repair it, which was annoying and time-consuming.

However, the initial design of the sword was good, and if there was some way to improve on that, like she had her own sword and, later, her dagger...

And knowing him like she did, Lina knew that Gourry was still smarting about not only losing the sword, but not finding a replacement that suited his needs. She knew it had to be hard on someone to lose the very tool that they were known and revered for, and that deep down, he probably had defined himself by that sword. If she could find some way to at least give him that back, for all of the things that he had done for her in the past...

"Lina-san?" Amelia's polite voice broke her out of her string of thought. "Did you hear me? I asked you what you thought."

Lina blinked slowly. Gourry caught her eye, and she met it, frowning still. Gourry was also frowning, but there was something else there, something she read as worry, but hope, too.

"We keep going," she decided, saying it mostly to Gourry. "If they attack us, the direction we go won't make a difference. But one thing is for sure: we can't just give it up now. We have to meet it to the end."

Zelgadis cupped his cheek into his hand, leaning forward. "I figured you would say that, but at the same time, what do we do if we're attacked like last time again?"

"Do what we can," she shrugged. She looked seriously at Gourry. "We may end up depending on you a bit. Are you okay with that?"

Gourry smiled, as if she had just offered pie. Lina realised that perhaps he had been feeling useless all along, but was just really good at hiding it. "You can count on me," he replied.

"I figured," Lina replied with a smile. 


	12. The Moss That Grows

It took them almost a week to get back there. The reason for the delay was pretty simple:

One, they got attacked at least once a day, which forced them to stop for an hour or two to recover.

And the most damning: Lina couldn't remember exactly where the town, let alone the library, actually was. If she tried to backtrack from the city that sold Salmon Delight, it would just waste time.

Finally, she decided to try and make her way back to the city, hoping that they would stumble upon the library or its town on the way. It wasn't a great solution, but it was the only one that looked somewhat decent, so they others had to agree.

It was a tedious way to do it, and it took far longer than she had anticipated, or liked, but eventually, once they passed though the city and went backwards from it, Lina started to recognise a few things, and with it, the way to go from there. Hopefully.

"Gourry," she said, looking over at him. "I know you don't really remember, but do you have any kind of inkling as to where you went to find the healers?"

Gourry frowned, scratching his chin slowly in thought. Lina waited, hoping that this was an actual sign and not a preparation for teasing.

"Lina-san!" Amelia called, sounding far off. She turned, and saw that both the princess and Zelgadis were barely within eyesight. "Is this the library you wanted?"

Lina felt a sudden clench in her gut, one that she hadn't been expecting, but when she spoke, her voice was calm, "How should I know if I can't see if from here?" she demanded.

She turned to catch up, but felt Gourry's big hand slap down on her shoulder and pull her back. She turned, and saw that he looked worried.

"Are you sure you want to go back?" he wondered. "What if whatever hit you is still there?"

Lina smiled and nodded. "But this time, I won't be so stupid as to try a spell that was banned for a reason," she replied.

He still looked worried, so gently, Lina cupped his cheek into her hand, smiling. "And besides, you're here."

"I was there last time and you still got hurt," he snapped, his eyes wavering with anger. Lina knew he wasn't mad at her, but it still upset her just the same.

"What are you, an idiot?" she demanded, tapping on his cheek. "If you hadn't gotten me away from there, I wouldn't be here to lecture you!"

Gourry still looked doubtful, so she softened a little. She moved in closer, closed the distance, and hugged him, tightly. He hugged her back, almost hard enough to take her breath away. He buried his face into her hair, and she sighed, mostly from pleasure, but also from worrying about him.

"It's okay," she said softly into his ear. He nodded, slowly, as if trying to get rid of the images he could see, or perhaps memories, and then pulled away from her. He looked worried still, but not as much as before.

"Lina-san!" Amelia shouted, her voice irritated and louder.

Lina rolled her eyes. With a wave of her hand, she turned towards the voice. Gourry followed, swallowing hard. He was going to make sure his eyes stayed glued to her the whole time.

X X X

The library, if possible, looked worse than it had the last time they had been there. Lina wasn't exactly surprised, since she was pretty sure that she and Gourry were the only ones who knew of it (except now Amelia and Zelgadis knew too), but it still sort of surprised her.

Zelgadis got a faraway look in his eyes. "How old is this place?" he wondered. From beside him, Amelia scowled, but made no comment.

Lina decided to answer the question anyway, even though she, too, was annoyed by it, since she and Amelia both knew where it was going. "Old," she answered. "The townspeople we met had some recollection of it, but not alot."

Zelgadis licked his lips slowly and started towards it, but Lina grabbed a fistful of his mantle and dragged him back. He staggered and sputtered. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Are you forgetting something?" Lina snapped. "That place is dangerous. Even if you don't actually read the book I did, something still hit me when I was there. I'm not letting you risk it."

Zelgadis's eyes blazed with anger, and he gritted his teeth. He yanked his mantle out of her grasp and turned away from her. When he made as if to go anyway, Amelia blocked him, her own face twisted in fury. He glared back, but she didn't move, nor did she say a word.

They stood like that for a long moment, long enough to make Lina start chewing on her hair and Gourry shift from foot to foot uneasily.

When she felt it had gone on too long, Lina broke in with, "We're here to use this as a landmark, Zel. We don't have time to waste on it."

Zelgadis turned away from Amelia and instead got into Lina's face. "You have no idea what it's like," he said, his voice shaking.

"No, I don't," she answered curtly. "But I know what it's like watching you get your hopes up each time only to have them dashed like this. It _can't be done, Zelgadis!_"

He glared at her, his mouth open, and she stared back. This time it was the two of them locked in a gaze.

In a gentler tone, she continued. "You've been looking and looking for years. Everytime you think you've come close, it's not there. You're chasing a ghost, Zel. You're chasing Rezo--"

Zelgadis held up a hand, lowering his head and shutting his eyes, and she shut up. She knew she had gone too far, but she also knew that she was right. He pulled away from her, looking away from the three of them. There was a silence, one that pained everyone involved in it.

It was only broken when Amelia stood next to him and touched his shoulder. He flinched, but she said, softly, "Once we take care of this problem and we know it's safe, maybe we can come back, Zelgadis-san. Otherwise, we're just inviting them to trap us."

Lina blinked, gaping. She noticed Gourry doing the same. Instantly she regretted ever making fun of Amelia's diplomacy. That was the best answer she could have given.

Zelgadis sighed, big time, but he nodded. He reached up and touched her hand, giving it a pat, and she smiled before pulling it away. When he turned to Lina, his eyes were dark, but they were set. "Can you find your way from here?" he asked.

Lina reached forward and gave him a hearty punch on his shoulder. He squawked, but managed to smile a little. "Let's get going!" she crowed. She turned to Gourry. "You can lead the way!"

Gourry paled, but nodded.

X X X

It took even longer for them to find the town in question. Gourry managed to get them lost twice, and each time they were attacked. It took them almost two days to get there, which seriously pissed Lina off, but there was nothing to be done about it.

When Gourry stopped in front of a modest little hut, he frowned, narrowing his eyes. When Lina caught up to him and looked as well, she knew it was the place. She felt relieved. "This is it," she declared, and Gourry sagged, grateful that his spot in the lead was finally over.

Lina jumped up and knocked, and was soon greeted by the very same priestess who had treated her all of those months ago. She felt a little bit of a lurch in her stomach, from the memory of it, but she bit it back.

"Oh! Lina-san!" the priestess exclaimed, looking very happy. "It's great to see you! And looking so robust, too!"

Lina titled her head at this, but decided not to address it. (She did, however, hear Amelia snort behind her.) "Thanks. Listen, do you know where Sylphiel is?"

The priestess blinked, then shook her head. "No, she left not too long after you were discharged," her face brightened. "Before she left, she made sure that I knew Resurrection!" She flexed her arms and grinned. "Do you need me to use it on you?"

Lina sighed, her expression poisonous. "Does it look like I need it? Considering how 'robust' I look?"

The priestess looked embarrassed. "Er, no, certainly not like last time," she admitted.

Lina twitched, and Gourry instantly knew that it meant she was close to punching the priestess, so he stepped in. "Do you know where Sylphiel was headed?" he wondered.

The priestess paused, chewing on her lip. "She did say something about going further south, but she was kind of vague about it."

Lina wanted to scream. This was getting them nowhere. "Didn't she leave some sort of itinerary or something? So you knew where she was?"

The priestess shook her head slowly.

"Gah," Lina groaned. They had come so far, wasted so much time, and for what? Nothing; just another wall thrown up in their faces. The frustration was too much. Lina could feel herself shaking from it, and without another word, she turned on her heel and marched away, muttering something that vaguely sounded like "bandits" and "asses".

Her three comrades, as well as the priestess, stared after her in a small silence. Finally, Amelia forced a smile and said gently, "We're trying to find a solution to a little problem we're having, and Sylphiel-san was our last chance. I assure you, it's not your fault."

The priestess blew her bangs out of her face. "I figured," she agreed. "Well, sorry I couldn't be of much help." Her tone was conclusion, and they knew they were being dismissed.

"Thank you very much," Amelia said. The preistess nodded and closed the door behind her. Gourry wasn't sure, but there was something odd about her, something he couldn't quite place...

"Well," Zelgadis broke in suddenly, staring off in the direction that Lina had stomped off. "Now what? Follow the sound of explosions?"

Amelia jolted suddenly. "Wait a second!" she cried. "Lina-san's alone!"

Zelgadis blinked, but Gourry tensed, nodding. About a moment later, Zelgadis's eyes narrowed. "Dammit," he muttered.

Within a moment, they were chasing after her, shouting out her name to get her to stop, before the next attack came.

But they would be too late.


	13. The Brightest Light

If she were to be honest, she would admit that she wasn't so much angry as she was completely and utterly enraged.

Of all of the emotions that Lina hated, it was helplessness that she hated the most. To be out of ideas, to be forced to give up, was the epitome of evil as far as she was concerned.

To have come so close, only to have missed by an inch, was enough to make her want to commit all sorts of acts of violence on the general bandit populace.

So it was pretty easy for Lina, in her frustration, to forget that going off on her own was probably a bad idea, and that it wasn't going to be bandits that she met on the road.

Her first hint was when she felt a wave of nausea pass over her. It was so familiar to her now that she automatically hunched over, but what she really wanted to do was scream, instead.

Her second hint was the onslaught of magic and bloodlust that shortly followed her nausea. Automatically her hands went up and she choked out a Balus Wall, but it was a weak one. Already Lina's concentration was fraying, but not out of weakness. It was out of that rage, that fury.

She put her focus on it, and her spell strengthened. She gritted her teeth, and the nausea was put on the back burner. When the first wave of attacks ended, instead of running like she had before, she threw her hands up and shouted out a random Damu Bras, throwing it in a half-hazard direction. The spell exploded several feet away, close enough for her to feel the heat on her face.

Lina grinned. She had probably missed, but it didn't matter. She had wanted an explosion, and she got it.

It was only with the sound of displaced air that she felt her calm vanish.

"Ah, what a treat," Xellos sang softly, keeping himself out of her range but close enough for her to see perfectly. "Your anger has always been wonderful."

Lina sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Get lost, you sicko," she snapped. Her eyes were scanning around her, hoping to be able to ignore Xellos and nail his minions while she had the upperhand.

In reply, she felt a wave of bloodlust, and she gasped, freezing. She slowly turned, and saw that Xellos was standing still, his eyes open and on her, his face eerily calm.

"All you wanted was to get the sword open, correct?" he said, his words like barbs. Lina gritted her teeth, her fingers poised to cast a spell in her defence. "All you wanted was to release the seal on the sword. Give me the sword, Lina-san, and you'll get what you want."

"Oh, please?" Lina snapped. "And you'll release one of Dark Star's henchman loose on the world. Yay! Just what I wanted!"

Her words brought on another surge of bloodlust, and she winced. "I did tell you that I would find ways to make you want to give me the sword," Xellos continued, his eyes dark. Slowly, he held up a hand, and a flicker of black light sparked to life. "I do have my ways of changing people's minds."

Lina tensed, easing back into her ready-to-fight position. She ran through her inventory of spells as quickly as she could, trying to think of something that would at least debilitate Xellos enough to allow her to either run away or drive off his minions (and the sooner, the better, she thought, swallowing hard).

However, when her thoughts started to get panicked and jumbled, something dragged her out of her reverie and brought her back to the present. She felt a burning sensation, hot and sudden, and when she reached under her shirt, she found the source: the necklace's gem was not only hot to touch, but it was burning so bright that it was painful to look at. When Lina closed her eyes, she could see the glow, still, as if it were burned into her retinas.

And suddenly, she had a plan.

It was reckless. It was stupid. It wasn't even guaranteed to work. But it was more than she had five minutes ago. And for her, that was enough.

X X X

Meanwhile, the remaining three were following the sounds of explosions, which isn't as easy as it sounds, especially when there's more than one. Zelgadis, who had the keenest hearing, was elected as official sound-locator, but was having a hard time at it, which he made sure to let everyone else know.

"Damn," Zelgadis muttered. "I keep hearing different things."

Gourry frowned at him. "Like what? That doesn't sound right."

Zelgadis bared his teeth, frustrated both by not finding anything and by the tone in Gourry's voice. "Just shut up and let me listen!"

Amelia rolled her eyes, which surprised Gourry. Both went silent, and Zelgadis shut his eyes and listened. Sure enough, it was the same as before: multiple explosions, in multiple directions.

"Dammit!" Zelgadis snapped. "We'll never find her at this rate!"

Amelia sighed, looking worried. "We can't just give up. Just point in the direction of the loudest one and we'll follow."

Zelgadis shook his head slowly. "That's the thing: I thought of that, too, but they change, and..." he trailed off, his eyes widening. Amelia, right before his eyes, was turning a faint green, and a split second later, he felt it, too: that horrible, debilitating nausea.

Gourry stared, watching both of them hunch over, and it he knew instantly what it meant. He edged closer to them and unsheathed his sword.

"Ah," a high-pitched, feminine voice called out. "But that's not the sword I want."

Gourry smirked. "And I don't want an opponent who's a coward, but we don't always get what we want."

The voice snorted. "A coward? Hardly."

"Someone who hides in the shadows while they attack is a coward," Gourry answered back. He was about to say more, but a hand clamped down on his forearm. Zelgadis looked up at him, his eyes fierce, even through the pain and nausea. "Decoy," he grated out. "It's a decoy!"

Gourry didn't understand at first, but when he heard a blast of magic, he got it.

They were being kept away from Lina on purpose.

X X X

Just as suddenly as the nausea appeared, it was gone. Lina decided not to miss it, nor was she going to worry about it. All she could feel surrounding her was Xellos: his magic, his bloodlust, and worst of all, his malevolence.

But she still had that plan. Her hand clutched the stone of the necklace tightly, feeling its heat burn her skin into numbness. She had a plan.

"Looks like it's just you and I, now, Lina-san," Xellos said softly, his eyes glittering. "You know how I love to spend my time alone with you."

Lina ignored the bait. "Why is it so important, Xellos?" she demanded. She knew why, but she wanted him to talk while she gathered time.

"Why, indeed?" Xellos breathed out. "Why are we here? Why are THEY here? Why do they keep interfering with out world?"

That was new. Lina looked over, interested now. "They?"

Xellos smiled wider, only this time it was a twisted grin. "The gods, the people of the other world, whoever they are. The ones who fought with and against Valgaav. Why do they keep using our world as their personal dumping ground? And most of all..."

Lina winced, wrapping her arms around herself tightly and lowering her head. The bloodlust was terrible!

"...Why do they keep trying to take our fun away from us?" Xellos finished, his eyes boring into hers.

Lina glared at him. "You sure have your facets, Xellos," she growled.

Xellos smiled playfully this time. "It would be boring otherwise, wouldn't it?" he replied in a singsong voice.

Lina shook her head. "Why are you showing up now? You know I don't have the sword on me."

"You sure don't," Xellos agreed. With relief, Lina could feel his malevolence receding. "But you have something just as important, don't you?"

Lina smiled. "Well, maybe," she drawled.

"Question is, will you give it freely, or do I have to strip it from your corpse?" Xellos wondered. He slowly raised his staff into the air, and the jewel began to glow a bright red. Without a word, he swung it in her direction.

Lina, however, was expecting it. Without pausing, the moment the staff came to life, she held out her hand and shouted soundlessly, forcing all she could into concentrating.

The shout was shorting followed by the words: "Light, come forth!"

The white-hot light lit all around them with its glow.

X X X

It was a dilemma.

If they stayed in one place, they were putting themselves not only into whatever plans their opponent had, but they would also, probably, lose. However, if they went after Lina, there was still no guarantee that they would find her, and of course their opponent would go after them.

Plus, by the looks of it, neither Zelgadis nor Amelia looked able to move.

Gourry fleetingly thought of leaving them behind, in order to find Lina on his own, but it was his panic thinking for him, and he easily pushed it away. He would never find Lina on his own, and leaving the two of them behind was...cold. Especially since he alone could fight.

So even though he knew it was putting Lina in danger, and even though he felt like horrible doing so, he stayed put, and tried not to think about it. The only real thing to do would be to push through and then find her.

Which left, of course, the Mazoku.

"You really should come out," Gourry muttered, his eyes narrowed. "Your sneak magic doesn't work on me."

"Ah, that's true," the voice agreed. "But there are other ways, don't you think?"

There was a sound, like a minute explosion, and a barrage of magic showered down from above him. There was a choked mumble, and a weak Balus Wall jumped up and shielded the three of them from the worst. When Gourry looked down, he saw that Amelia had her hands up, and she still looked ill, but her eyes were fierce, and her jaw was set.

Zelgadis swallowed. "You need to find her like you did before," he said softly, his voice strained. "If you drive her out of hiding, the attacks will stop."

Gourry nodded. He waited for the attack to finish and the wall to drop before he focussed, closing his eyes and reaching out.

One time, on the road, when they were travelling together and Lina was bored, she tried to teach him a couple of basic spells. He tried as hard as he could, but found he just couldn't master the wording or hand gestures, even for Lighting. However, he distinctly remembered something that Lina had said back then, something that he knew he had to use now.

_"Your capacity messes me up, Gourry." Lina said, her eyes shining. "It could even rival mine, and that's saying alot. Even if you can't figure out spells, I KNOW you could still use some of the mental techniques that come with magic."_

_Gourry was confused. "What do you mean, exactly?"_

_Lina sighed. "You know how, sometimes, I can sense things before they happen?" When he nodded, she went on. "That's not a spell; that's mental capacity. It's innate."_

_Gourry stared._

_"It means you're born with it," she rolled her eyes. "And since your own capacity is so high, I bet you, too, could focus like that and feel anything around you."_

_"I already do that without magic," he answered._

_Lina smacked a hand to her forehead. "I know! Which is what I'm saying! You could hone that to make it stronger, idiot!"_

He hadn't taken her seriously then, because he had insisted that his way was fine, but now he wished he had. But now, at this moment, was not the time to regret. Instead, he put it in motion.

_"When you want to reach out,"_ Gourry could hear her voice as clear as crystal. _"Picture your thoughts like they're waves. Just keep pushing them out, further and further, and you'll see. You'll find something."_

All he could do was try...

With his eyes firmly shut, aware that the next barrage was coming any second, he concentrated.


	14. Riding the Tide

The sound the light made was familiar, almost hauntingly so. Lina felt her stomach clench a little from it. It brought back so much...

Clenched tightly in her hand was the crystal, the chain curled around her fingers and wrist in a tight vise. She held her arm out, her fist pointed in Xellos's direction.

From the crystal, there was a bright, albeit short, blade of light that emerged from its tip, the same circumference as the crystal itself. It flickered, but the glow was hot and strong. She had been right. Her plan had worked.

Xellos stared at her, frozen in place. "Just when you think you know everything..." he murmured, his eyes glittering bright from the glow the blade of light emitted.

"Exactly," Lina snapped, her eyes narrowed, both in anger and against the brightness. "So back off. You know what this can do against your Astral form."

Xellos stared at her for a moment, then smiled. It wasn't one of his jovial smiles. "Of course," he agreed.

Lina took a step forward towards him, her arm held out. "So we're agreed then? You'll back off?"

Xellos shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid not," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "The very fact that you can summon the light from the Sword of Light makes it mandatory that, once I make use of it, I destroy it," here he paused, his eyes glinting, "or you."

Lina snorted, even though she didn't feel very confident. "Why waste the time on me, Xellos?" she demanded. "The whole point was to get the sword in its raw state, wasn't it? Without the light? So why are you harassing me?"

"Like I said, I would find ways of getting you to give it up freely," was his reply.

"But I don't have it," she grated, starting to get pissed off.

"But you have the key," Xellos said.

Lina froze, then shut her eyes, grimacing. Of all of the times that she had been careless, certainly it was this moment that made them all look tame.

Those times that she had been trying to open it by white magic failed for a reason, but it wasn't the reason she had thought. When she had tried to open it on her own, the stone reacted, but she didn't make the connection then, nor did she later, when Filia couldn't even open it.

"Only the light from the sword can break the seal," she muttered, feeling her stomach sink into her shoes. "And therefore you need the stone, which is why you're here with me."

"Of course," Xellos agreed. Lina could practically hear the 'duh' in his voice.

X X X

When Gourry looked back on that day, he would be full of regrets on several different points. But he would always, always be proud of what he had achieved that day, because it was a breakthrough that would affect the future for the better.

When he was able to block out everything around him, including the tell-tale sounds of another attack, he felt...lighter. Like everything was in slow motion and he was the only one able to go a normal speed. He felt warm and cool all at once, and he felt a sensation, akin to giddy excitement, fill him.

Hend then with his mind, he pushed out, just like Lina had told him. And something happened. Behind his closed eyes, he actually saw it; a small, thin wave of blue-white light rush out from him and out beyond. It was so weak, it fizzled out a few feet away, which was disappointing, but not enough to make him quit.

He tried again, desperately trying to ignore the sounds around him. He forced all of his emotions into that one wave, and this time, what burst from him was huge and almost blinding. It rushed out from him, and several metres away, hit a solid figure cloaked in its own energy.

Gourry's eyes snapped open, and his eyes fell on where he had sensed the Mazoku in hiding. He held his sword tight and rushed forward towards it, as fast as he could. When the feeling was strongest, he swung down, hard.

And again, he saw something upon the blade of his ordinary, everyday sword: a glitter of bright sparks that danced up the blade.

His sword hit true, and sliced through something solid. Which, Gourry thought, blinking in sudden realisation, shouldn't have been possible with an ordinary sword. But it still worked, judging from the sound of pain and outrage that accompanied his swordswing.

The attack stopped in mid-downpour, and with relieved expressions on their faces, both Zelgadis and Amelia were able to stand their full height once more.

"Ra Tilt?" Amelia wondered quietly.

"Ra Tilt," Zelgadis agreed.

As they began chanting, Gourry backed up from the Mazoku, who was slowly flickering into view, and wasn't too happy about it. She was all limbs, in a sickly grey colour, with ropy hair and huge eyes. It wasn't exactly appealing, Gourry thought.

She turned to him, her outrage pretty obvious. Without a word, she held out a hand towards him, and a ball of black light flickered to life. Gourry tensed, his sword out, every speck of concentration focused on the Mazoku's moves. He knew, deep down, that she would get a shot on him before Amelia and Zelgadis finished their spell.

So he tensed, and waited.

X X X

"Okay, Xellos," Lina said, sounding way more confident that she felt. "I'm sure you've waited for this moment. Bring it."

Xellos smiled wider. Without a word, he held out his staff, and the orb nestled within it burst to life with bright red magic.

Lina gritted her teeth, feeling mildly embarrassed. She hadn't actually expected Xellos to start an attack. If anything she had merely been trying to call his bluff.

As the glow grew brighter, Lina shook her head and started chanting. It was easy to fall into the pattern of things, and doing this was one of the few things she would never forget. When she channeled the Elmekia Lance into the blade of light, it burst out and lengthened in size, glittering a vibrant green. With it came a rush a power, one that Lina felt in her gut, and she grinned.

Xellos swung his staff in a lazy half-circle, and a shower of black-tinged red globes fell from the jewel. As they rushed towards Lina, she jumped forward and swung her arm, the blade of light bursting to life. Despite the numbers, she managed to cut through all but one, which nicked her left leg a bit. It stung, but she ignored it. She was, if she were to admit it, having too much fun.

It was dangerous. It was life-threatening. Xellos was way out of her league. But she was thrilled. The blade of light invigorated her, although she wasn't sure why. She knew she would probably lose, but what mattered was that she didn't just lay down and wait for it to happen. With the blade, and its jewel, she felt like she could DO something...

"Not bad, Lina-san," Xellos chirped, the air rushing towards him as he started summoning up more power. "I would have been disappointed if you couldn't have defended yourself against such a pithy attack."

Lina smiled at him. "Of course," she replied. "I am a genius, after all."

"Indeed," Xellos replied, his voice becoming thick with his sudden bloodlust. Lina winced a little, but kept her stance tall, determined not to bend down to him, even now. "But how long can you hold up?"

Lina opened her mouth to reply, but before she could even take a breath, his next attack was on her. It was like a crushing, overwhelming wind. It took her breath away, made her feel small and squished, and she shut her eyes, reaching out with her mind towards the blade. It had dimmed, but it responded, and with her mental shove, burst into a blazing light. She swung her arm as hard as she could, feeling the strain in her shoulder, and the blade cut through the haze.

She stood, gasping for air, hunched over a little. That one, she knew, had not been a test. He had fully intended to, if not kill her, definitely hurt her. She focused before her, and saw that Xellos stood calmly, smiling, his eyes blazing with an emotion she could not comprehend.

"That came close, Lina-san," he chided, waving a finger at her. "I could actually feel you stop breathing there."

Lina scowled, but smiled again in reply. "What do you expect when you take away someone's air supply?" she wondered, her voice caustic.

This wasn't fun anymore, she realised dimly. It wasn't a game, and it wasn't an experiment. Xellos was really trying to get rid of her in order to get the necklace, and he was taking his time doing so. But they both knew that the game would end eventually.

The question was, how soon would it be?

X X X

Just as the Mazoku fired her shot, Amelia and Zelgadis fired their own. The blue-white flames enveloped and then engulfed her, but her aim was true, and her shot clipped Gourry on the shoulder and blasted him back from her.

Which was just as well, because the heat from the two Ra Tilts was staggering.

Gourry dropped his sword, his hand going up to his shoulder. His hand came away hot and wet, and he sighed, feeling the pain a moment later. It was bad timing, he thought.

Amelia appeared a moment later, looking worried. "Gourry-san, are you okay?" she asked, her fingertips already glowing with a Recovery spell.

He nodded and pulled his hand away, and she put her hands to it, concentrating.

While Amelia healed Gourry, Zelgadis scanned the area, his cynic side keeping him alert, despite the evidence that their opponent was nothing but ash. His sword, which he had finally managed to draw, was alight with red light, and his eyes were narrowed. He listened, harder than he ever had before.

And he heard it, his mouth going dry. It wasn't an explosion. It wasn't the sound of feet on the ground. It was much, much worse. And for the moment, Zelgadis was glad that he was the only one who could hear it.

"Hurry up," he snapped. Amelia jumped at his tone and looked over, and saw that his complexion had gone ashen. Gourry noticed as well, and he felt his stomach clench.

Amelia turned back and chanted as fast as she could, all while Gourry started to shake, adrenaline and nerves making it hard to suppress. He didn't like the look on Zelgadis's face at all.

Zelgadis tensed, his hands gripping onto the hilt of his sword tight, and his eyes flashed. "Catch up with me!" he growled, before turning on his heel and running off in the opposite direction.

Amelia looked scared now, and her hands were trembling, but true to her nature, she kept the spell going. Once she finished, both she and Gourry were on their feet, and rushing after Zelgadis as fast as they could.

X X X

The shriek that was ripped from her throat was one not only of pain, but of rage. Xellos's last attack had kept her legs frozen to the ground until the last second, which he filled with a direct shot upon her. Her landing was hard, and it HURT like hell, so she couldn't help it. But it pissed her off.

She was down, but damned if she was out.

Slowly, Lina pushed herself back up to her feet. She looked up through her bangs, and saw that Xellos still looked eerily calm and quietly amused. She couldn't stand up straight, and her legs trembled from her pain and fatigue, but her hand still clutched the jewel tightly. The blade shimmered in and out, matching her concentration, but she kept her grip on it.

The problem was, Xellos's attacks just kept getting worse. She had expected it, but she hadn't expected that it would be so easy for him, so effortless and amusing for him.

And the worst part was that she knew, she KNEW, that he wasn't even using half of his power.

"Delicious," Xellos said, his voice practically a purr. It sent a wave of fury through her, and he laughed, obviously feeling it. "That doesn't help you, Lina-san. If anything, it just makes my job easier."

"Shut up and get lost," was her reply, which, she knew, wasn't as threatening as she had wanted.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, Lina-san," he replied. She felt a rush of power coming from him, and she knew her time was up. She swallowed, holding her hand out in front of her, feeling like the jewel's blade was nothing more than a sewing needle.

When he phased out, she tensed, her growing panic forcing her to look around her in jerky moves. It was only when she felt the stabbing pain in her right arm, and then again in her wrist, that she realised where he was.

This time her shriek was of pain and nothing else, and she shut her eyes against it. Her hand went slack, and the chain of the necklace untwisted itself and dropped from her numb fingers. She felt her legs give out, and she dropped to the ground, on her back, her left hand clutching at her injured arm.

Her mind was screaming at her to get up, to grab the necklace, but her body rebelled. The pain was paralysing: Xellos had broken the bone in both her forearm and in her wrist, and she couldn't think about anything else. She could barely breathe. But she could still hear, and she heard him chuckle.

"You should know better than to expect death from me, Lina-san," he chided. "Your pain, your rage, and your passion are the perfect rewards for a job well done."

Lina growled out, her voice ragged, and she heard him laugh. "One down, one to go," were his parting words. She heard him phase out, and then even her ears went deaf from the shock of his attack.


	15. The Darkest Star

It was how Zelgadis found her. He ran over, did a quick sweep of the area to make sure that she was alone, then ran to her side, his fingers instantly going to her throat.

At the feel of his cool fingers, Lina moaned a little and stirred, mumbling out the words, "Few more minnits, still sleepy."

"Lina," Zelgadis murmured, making a face. She was injured, that much was clear, but he couldn't tell how or where, and he needed her help on that before he could heal her. "It's Zelgadis. Wake up, will you?"

Lina groaned again, this time from pain. "Oh, it hurts so bad," she whispered, her eyes shut tight. "Stupid bastard."

Zelgadis blinked, wondering if she was calling HIM a bastard. "Where?" he asked gently, his fingers moving from her neck to her forehead, checking for fever. She was warm, but not hot, which was a relief.

"Arm," she answered. Zelgadis leaned in closer, taking hold of her right arm gently. It wasn't gentle enough; even his light probing brought a scream from her. He wasn't deterred, though. He placed her arm across her stomach and waited for her to catch her breath. When her breathing slowed, he said, "I'm going to heal you now. Do you understand?"

Lina slowly opened her eyes halfway, the colour dim. "Hurry up already!" she snapped, her teeth bared.

Zelgadis actually had to swallow a laugh. If she was able to be angry, then she would be fine.

X X X

Meanwhile, to their dismay, both Amelia and Gourry had gotten lost. Zelgadis had simply ran too fast for them to keep track of him, and now they were running in circles, trying to find both him and Lina.

"Where do you think he could have gone?" Amelia panted. "I don't think I've ever seen him run so fast!"

"I have," Gourry said grimly. "And it's never a good thing."

Amelia opened her mouth to reply, but a sudden blast erupted at their feet, knocking them both back and to the ground.

Gourry was the one to get to his feet first, and when he did, he saw the source of the blast: Xellos.

His sword was out before anyone could blink, and he pointed it at the Priest. "Where's Lina?" he demanded.

Xellos looked disappointed. "Of all of the things you could have said, certainly I should have expected that, shouldn't I? And yet it still surprises me."

"Where is she?" Gourry repeated, his eyes narrowing. He tightened his grip on his sword, and he saw something he knew he wasn't imagining. The blade flickered faintly with white light.

Xellos waved a hand a bit to his left. "I left her over there somewhere," he said casually. "I got what I needed from her." He held up his hand, and the necklace glittered brightly. "And it's happy to see you, Gourry-san."

Gourry gritted his teeth, easing into his fighting position. He felt a presence beside him, and from the corner of his eye, saw Amelia join him, looking singed but determined. She held her hands at her side, and a burst of fire magic came to life.

"You know why I'm here," Xellos said. "I want Gorun Nova."

Gourry didn't say a word. He just waited, looking for some kind of opening. He knew that fighting Xellos was probably a reckless and deadly thing to do, and likely to be his last, but he no longer cared. It was when Xellos, who had been at their sides more than once as an ally, treated his defeat of Lina as something out of the ordinary, that set his rage alight and his caution to the wind.

"Gourry-san," Amelia whispered, "I can get a shot on him, one that should buy you time to reach him."

He nodded, grateful that at least Amelia was thinking straight. With his nod, Amelia darted forward, shouting out the trigger words and throwing it at Xellos. The moment she did, Gourry jumped forward, his sword out, his sight set on Xellos's throat.

But it was then that something went terribly wrong.

The moment Gourry's sword would have come into contact with Xellos's neck, the blade burned a brilliant and hot white colour. It would have been the perfect thing, except that the burst of power was too much for an ordinary sword to handle, and the blade shattered.

Gourry was left standing inches in front of Xellos, an empty hilt in his hand. His eyes widened when Xellos's open eyes fell onto his, and something unseen ricocheted into him and sent him backwards. He hit the ground hard, and blacked out before he knew it.

"Gourry-san!" Amelia cried. She turned on her heel to get to him, but Xellos held out a hand, stopping her. She glared at him, and he blinked, looking surprised. "I never knew you had that kind of rage in you, Amelia-san," he said honestly.

Amelia turned, held her fist out, and shouted, "Visfrank!" Her first instantly was encased in a white-yellow glow, and when it made contact with Xellos, it threw him back a couple of feet. He wheezed, not from pain, but from surprise.

"I had forgotten about that spell," he admitted sheepishly.

Amelia held her fists out in front of her, smiling. "You always do," she replied.

Gourry, meanwhile, stared at the hilt of his sword in bewilderment. The remains of the blade were jagged and singed, as if it had been broken while being tempered. It was useless, and it was the only thing he had to fight with.

Well, almost. Gourry reached down and touched the sword at his hip. He unhooked it from his belt, holding the familiar hilt between both hands. He frowned, then shook his head. He really had no choice, did he?

Slowly, so that he wouldn't be conspicuous, he got to his feet, holding the sealed sword in both hands tightly as if it were a staff.

Amelia moved like she was dancing, dipping in and out of Xellos's range. Each time she thought she had landed a hit, he parried it easily, looking more and more amused with each attempt. He was toying with her, she knew, but she was also stubborn, and refused to just quit until she was sure she wouldn't be able to do anything.

It was only when she saw the glitter of power in his eyes that she knew her time was up. She braced for it, her fists in front of her. When she felt the rush of power, she waited for the hit.

But it never came. Xellos had swung his staff, aiming right for her, but instead of hitting her, it had hit something else.

Gourry stood in front of Amelia, holding the sealed Sword of Light like a bow, the staff parried by it and it alone. He gritted his teeth and pushed against the staff, but it was obvious that Xellos was alot stronger than he let himself look.

He did, however, look surprised. "Gourry-san," he said, his voice pitched like a reprimand. "You shouldn't have done that."

Gourry growled, pushing harder on the staff, but to no avail. "And you shouldn't have come back!" he snapped back.

Slowly, with deliberate moves, Xellos reached down and wrapped his free hand around the Sword of Light. Gourry started to pull back, but in reply, Xellos merely narrowed his eyes, and again blasted them back from him without a second thought.

"I thank you, Gourry-san," he said. He let his staff drop, and midway it vanished. With one hand, he held the necklace, and the other, the sealed sword. "Your recklessness is always a reward."

X X X

Lina flexed her arm, rubbing it gingerly. It still felt tender, but it was good enough. "Thanks, Zel," she said, smiling at him. "Sorry I snapped at you."

Zelgadis patted the top of her head affectionately in reply. "Pain makes us all jerks," he answered. His face then dropped. "What happened?"

Lina sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. "He got one on me. He has the necklace. He's after Gourry." She stiffened, as if jolted by lightening. "Gourry! Where's Gourry?!"

"Recovering." Zelgadis said carefully. Lina's eyes flashed in panic, but he put a hand on her shoulder. "Amelia is with him. He should be back in no time--"

"No, you don't understand!" Lina snapped, getting to her feet. "Xellos is going after Gourry! For the sword!" With a shout of exasperation, she turned and ran.

Zelgadis darted after her and grabbed her arm, jerking her back. "Wrong way," he chided lightly. "Calm down, and follow me."

Lina's eyes wavered dangerously, her only show of how scared she was, but she nodded.

X X X

From his muzzy condition, Gourry could only understand a little of what happened. But it was enough.

Xellos stood there, looking quite proud of himself. With a hard, sudden impact, he smashed the jewel upon the hilt of the sword, right where the scabbard met it. The jewel didn't shatter, but instead emitted a horrible grating noise. It flashed out once, then went dim.

Xellos held up the sword, holding it by the hilt. He eyed it closely. Oozing from the opening in the sword were thin tendrils of black mist, reaching out into the air as though testing it. Xellos smiled, licking his lips.

"Come out, my friend, Gorun Nova," he said softly. "There is no light to ensnare you here."

"You stupid bastard!" came a sudden shout. Xellos suddenly careened forward with a yelp, dropping both sword and necklace and crumpling to the ground.

Lina stood over him, catching the necklace effortlessly in mid-air. She then rubbed her elbow on the part that had made contact with his head. Zelgadis stood behind her, looking embarrassed to be seen with her.

Gourry, upon seeing her, felt a wave of relief wash over him. With the way Xellos had acted before, it was almost as if he had finished her off.

There would be a moment in Gourry's life, in the future, that upon seeing Xellos, he would be right to assume such a thing. But that, of course, was in the future, and thus another story.

In any case, she was here now, and looking seriously pissed off. Xellos stayed on the ground, sitting up, looking wounded, both emotionally and physically. He rubbed the back of his head dejectedly. "Lina-san, you always resort to that," he whined.

"Oh, shut the hell up, you bastard Mazoku!" she shouted. "It's your fault for starting this stupid mess!"

"And finishing it," Xellos shot back, his scowl turning ruthless.

Lina stared down at him, her glare just as sinister, and she watched Xellos lick his lips. "We'll see," was all she said.

Turning away from him, she tucked the chipped and dim necklace into her breast pocket. Then she knelt to the ground, reaching a hand towards the sword.

When her fingertips made contact with the cold metal, the black tendrils that had been gingerly reaching out suddenly lurched to life. With lightning-fast moves, they latched onto Lina's wrist, tugging her down to the ground, hard. She shouted, but was caught off-guard, and both Zelgadis and Gourry were too far away to reach her when the blast of black light erupted from the sword and enveloped her in its haze.

"Lina-san!" Amelia, getting to her feet, shouted. Gourry shortly followed, and Zelgadis inched closer, his sword out. Xellos, still sitting on the ground, stared at the cloud, grinning, his eyes shining.

When the light faded, it was sudden. What emerged was a shadowy figure leaning over Lina, one knee digging into her back, the other on the ground. Its hands pinned hers behind her. It was shaped like a man, its body like metal chrome shaped into a person. Its gaze was blank, but deadly.

Lina knew she couldn't move; that wasn't the issue. The issue was that, for every second that the shadowy figure had its grip on her, she could feel, slowly, that somehow, her lifeforce was being taken from her as well. She froze, trying to fight off the panic, her eyes wide with her fear. She knew that if she moved, she would hasten the process and would die faster. But she also knew that if she DIDN'T move, she would be dead very, very soon.

One look from the figure that had Lina restrained froze the other three, although Gourry had a hard time doing so. He hadn't seen that kind of fear on Lina's face before, and it terrified him. But when the figure's eyes fell on him, pitiless and cold, he couldn't move.

"Welcome to our world, Gorun Nova," Xellos said calmly, getting to his feet. He made a sweeping bow. "I, Xellos Metallium, on behalf of my master, Juuo-sama Zelas, greet you."


	16. Standoffs and Shutins

_**Writer's Note:**Most of what I've written here about Gorun Nova, the Mazoku, I've taken from Lost Universe. However, this is only minutely, as Gorun Nova barely makes an appearance as a ship there. So, as is the usual case with fanfiction, I've taken alot of liberty here with my own Mazoku version of Gorun Nova. Therefore, anything that I've written here, with the exception of the name and the fact that it's one of the henchmen of Dark Star, should be taken as canon fact. It so, SO isn't. Enjoy!_

If someone had told Lina a week ago that she would, a week later, be pinned to the ground like a helpless rabbit by an interstellar Mazoku brought to life by a necklace, she would have blasted them across the universe for wasting her time with such idiotic lies.

Now, dimly, she almost wish she had been warned. It certainly would have saved some time, wouldn't it? She could have stayed in bed for a week, instead.

Gorun Nova's knee was still jammed into her back, and it was hard, and it hurt. It felt like he wasn't even made from flesh, or, like most Mazoku, a semblance of flesh. He was shaped like a man, so it was easy to call him one, but one look in those eyes and you knew that he was anything but.

Lina's eyes drooped a little. With each minute that passed, her fatigue was easily catching up with her. It was hard to even concentrate on what was going on around her. But she tried. She had to keep alert, in case there was some sort of opening for her to get herself free.

Xellos smiled, ignoring everyone else but Gorun Nova. "Is this world the way you expected it, Gorun-san?"

The Mazoku looked around slowly, his eyes narrowed. He made no move to get up from where he was. "It would have been better to come without a threat waiting for me," he answered, his voice monotone and cold.

Gourry gritted his teeth, but he knew that, without a sword, he would only end up a liability. Both Zelgadis and Amelia flanked him, and he could feel their tension. Amelia's hands were poised beside her, ready to summon a spell, and Zelgadis had his sword out and waiting, but neither made a move. They knew better than to attack suddenly until they knew Gorun Nova's intentions. Doing otherwise would be putting Lina at risk.

"Threat? Lina-san?" Xellos echoed, looking dubious. "Perhaps, but between the two of us, certainly small fry."

Lina twitched, baring her teeth. She wasn't deaf, after all.

"But she reeks of the light that imprisoned me," Gorun Nova answered, his eyes flicking down to the immobile sorceress beneath him.

"That light also managed to free you," Xellos said calmly, as if trying to placate his new guest. "You may want to release her, now."

Gorun Nova shook her head. "No. I can sense from her hatred that she's a threat. Better to kill her now."

As soon as he said that, Zelgadis's sword burst into bright red light. Amelia shouted out a couple of words, and bright green flames erupted between her hands. She threw it forward, just as Zelgadis dashed forward and swung his sword.

The Elmekia Lance hit both Lina and Gorun Nova, but where Lina only squinted from it, Gorun Nova grunted and jerked backwards. Zelgadis charged forward, but Gorun Nova, despite his disorientation, reached up and snatched the enchanted blade without much trouble, holding it a vise-like grip. And during this whole time, he hadn't even loosened his hold on Lina.

Gourry swallowed, then looked over at Xellos. Xellos was grinning, his eyes wide open. At the sight of it, Gourry felt a sudden rekindling of that familiar, righteous rage. And he smiled, because with it, came a not-so-kind or righteous plan.

Zelgadis growled and tugged on his sword, but Gorun Nova held it tight. "An interesting piece of metal," he said, his voice still sterile. "Charmed into damaging Astral forms such as myself. In theory, anyway." With a narrow of his depthless eyes, something cold and painful reached out and into Zelgadis. He gasped, trying to pull away, even trying to let go of the sword, but something held him in place.

"Visfrank!" a shrill shout burst out. Amelia jumped forward, and in a move that held everyone speechless, smashed her enchanted fist onto the side of Gorun Nova's head.

It certainly proved effectively. His eyes snapped away from Zelgadis's, and the chimera jerked back, taking his sword with him. He shivered, but kept close. Even Amelia's hit wasn't enough to get him away from Lina.

Who, meanwhile, was getting pissed off. It was one thing to be taken down in the midst of a fight; there was no shame in that. But to be pinned down, on the ground, forced to watch while everyone fought for you, was certainly a completely different matter.

_Lifeforce be damned,_ she though acidly, her eyes narrowing in concentration. _I'm so done with this pinned butterfly shit._

Xellos's eyes widened, obviously feeling it before anyone else did. He opened his mouth to warn Gorun Nova, and would have succeeded, if something, or someone, hadn't frozen him in place.

"Xellos," Gourry said, right into his ear. "Life is amazing, isn't it?"

Xellos yelped, covering his ears, his face contorting in horror. Gourry moved closer, facing him right on, backing him away slowly from the fight. "Life makes you want to sing in joy, doesn't it?" he continued, grinning from ear to ear.

"Damn you and your horrid psychology!" Xellos spat out, backing up further away from Gourry. However, ruthlessly, the swordsman followed, continuing his elegant torture.

Amelia wasn't done, either. She turned and swung her other fist, aiming for Gorun Nova's head once more. However, the Mazoku ducked, which sent Amelia tripping over him. Zelgadis lunged forward and caught her, pulling her away.

"What are you doing?" she snapped at him, squirming out of his grasp.

Zelgadis smirked at her. He pointed to Lina with his eyes, and Amelia went pale.

It was only when Lina uttered the fated words that no Mazoku enjoys hearing that Gorun Nova realised that he perhaps wasn't safe anymore. The Dynast Bras blasted him away, not only off Lina, but away from her as well. The five-pointed star etched itself at his feet, and only then did the spell truly activate.

Lina held her hands out from the ground, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She was panting, and her hands shook, but she was also pissed off, which added that extra bite to her spell. With a final shout, she pulled her hands back, and the spell gave a final blast, taking Gorun Nova with it.

Amelia went to her side, just as she slowly pushed herself to her feet. As soon as she stood up straight, she wobbled uncertainly and went pale, and Amelia grabbed her, holding her to her feet.

"Lina-san," Amelia murmured. Lina blinked and looked over, some of the colour coming back to her cheeks, but Amelia's eyes were on her hair: gracing the vibrant red-brown locks were generous streaks of white. She sighed.

Zelgadis joined them not a moment later, his sword out and his face tense. "It wasn't enough!" he snapped.

Lina bit back a reply; of course it wasn't enough, and she had known that when she fired it. The point was to get that damned Mazoku's ass OFF her.

Gorun Nova stood imprisoned within the Dynast Bras only for a moment before being able to shake it off. While it looked like it had made him uncomfortable, he still looked stronger than ever. Something, Lina thought stonily, could be thanks to her, and her siphoned lifeforce that he had greedily stolen from her.

Lina listened for a moment, trying to get a handle on her surroundings. She could hear Gourry torturing Xellos on the side, and had to smile a little at that. She could hear both Amelia and Zelgadis breathing hard, in both panic and adrenaline.

Most of all, she could hear her own heartbeat, loud and assaulting her hearing, and could hear just how close she had come to biting it back there.

That pissed her off. Alot.

Gorun Nova stood to his full height a few feet away from them, looking fully recovered and coldly bored. His eyes met Lina's, and she ground her teeth but stayed still. His gaze was like looking into a void.

"You still have the light that encased me," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Therefore, you're the first that has to die before I continue on this world."

Lina smiled slowly, her deliberate smile that she used when she heard somethign she didn't like. "Sounds like you're a little wary of a tiny ember," she drawled, pitching her voice in order to make it the most insulting. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted a reaction from him. She wanted to know that he COULD react.

"If you are as intelligent as you appear to be, you know better than that," was his cool reply. He slowly held up both hands, and twin flickers of dark energy sprouted to life.

"Lina-san," Amelia murmured. "Please tell me you have a plan like you usually do."

"I have to agree on that," Zelgadis nodded.

Lina opened her mouth, then shut it. She shut her eyes for a moment, feeling her heart speed up. She shook her head, turned on her heel, and started running, shouting out, "We run!"

Amelia and Zelgadis stared after her, watching as she dashed past Gourry and grabbed onto his arm, dragging him away from the cowering Xellos. For a split second, both hesitated, then followed.

"I should have expected that," Amelia gasped out as they ran.

"And yet, she gets us each time," Zelgadis muttered, sounding irritated.

X X X

Gorun Nova let his power fade into the air. He watched his opponents run off like cowards dispassionately. There was time to even the score. There was always time.

Slowly, he walked over to Xellos, who remained on the ground on his hands and knees, looking an inch away from death. "Are you recovered?" he asked.

Xellos looked up, having the decency to look shame-faced. "It seems that way," he said bashfully.

When Xellos got to his feet and brushed off his clothes, Gorun Nova said, "Then answer me this: Why have you summoned me here?"

Xellos blinked, looking surprised. "Certainly your master conferred with you about what happened over a year ago. How you and your companions were used to drive him from this world."

"Yes," Gorun Nova agreed.

"Then wouldn't you agree, Gorun-san, that revenge is on your agenda?" Xellos wondered, his eyes glittering.

Gorun Nova stared at him. "What reason could I have for revenge against a world that is already halfway to its own death from its own Mazoku?" he wondered.

Xellos smiled. "Your duty to your master?"

"My duty was upon my own world, fighting at his side against those who would want us dead," was the reply. "You appear to have an ulterior motive. What is it?"

Xellos smiled, the gesture slow and haunting. "That is a secret, Gorun-san," he answered.

"If you have no intentions of disclosing the full details, then I have no reason to follow your lead or command," Gorun Nova said calmly. "However, that doesn't stop me from destroying the one who has the means to eliminate me."

Xellos blinked, the smile long gone. "You intend to kill Lina-san?" he wondered, his voice no longer calm. "But that was not the reason why you were summoned," he protested, his voice strained.

Gorun Nova looked at him, almost bored. "You have no command over me," he said plainly. "Thus, have no say."

There was a rush of power, and then Gorun Nova was gone.

Xellos stood there, looking both surprised and dismayed. "Ah," he said softly. "This is certainly backfiring."


	17. Retreat, Regroup and Reevaluate

Lina had her face buried in her hands, and she would not move them.

They had managed to run quite a distance away, and by the time they were able to set up a very messy and impromptu camp, it was already getting dark. Everyone was hungry, scared, and tired, so the huddle around the fire was a sombre one.

Everyone but Lina was eating and drinking, and everyone but Lina was willing to talk. But Lina kept by herself, her legs crossed, her face covered by her hands.

The others felt it was best to leave her alone for the moment, especially since the firelight made the streaks of bright white hair seem to glow.

However, that didn't stop Amelia and Zelgadis from talking AROUND her, which, they soon would learn, is a huge, horrible mistake.

"So what do we do?" Amelia wondered, her voice soft.

"Who knows?" Zelgadis sighed, his eyes dark and focused on the glittering flames.

Gourry, very quietly, inched himself as close to Lina as he dared. He knew what kind of mood she was in, and he also knew that it would be best to let her address it on her own terms.

"We have to do something," Amelia pressed on, looking angry and determined at once. "There is nothing just about what Xellos-san did."

Beside him, Gourry felt Lina twitch a little.

"Just or not, what's done is done," Zelgadis replied. "Now we have to figure out how exactly to correct it."

"But how?" Amelia wondered. "I doubt normal spells will work on someone of his level."

"We could always try the Ra Tilt again."

"When has that ever worked on someone that strong?"

Zelgadis smiled. "Usually it's me trying to convince you of the futility of things."

Amelia made a face. "I don't know how we managed to switch roles."

"Aaaaaaugh!"

Gourry winced, and both Zelgadis and Amelia looked shocked.

Lina dropped her hands from her face, her eyes blazing with fury. "On and on and on! All you're doing is talking in circles, when you won't even get to the point!"

Amelia gulped, but Zelgadis frowned at her. "And what do you expect?" he demanded. "With the condition you're in, we weren't sure--"

In an instant, Lina was on her feet, her hands on her hips. "My 'condition' has nothing to do with reality!" she snapped, confusing the hell out of the rest of them. "Yes, I got hurt. Yes, Gorun Nova is powerful. But you idiots seem to be forgetting the whole goddamned point!"

Amelia sighed. "Lina-san, you really have a dirty mouth."

Gourry broke in hurriedly. "What is the point, Lina?" he asked, both curious and eager to move on.

Lina stood up straight. "Gorun Nova is not of this world!" she answered, throwing her arms up into the air. "You remember when Almayce was here? And how he seemed strong, but the moment you got a hit on him, he was down?"

Gourry looked confused, but both Zelgadis and Amelia nodded slowly.

"Gorun Nova may be a Mazoku, but he's not to his full power here on our world," Lina went on, practically ranting now. "The fact that he had to rob me of my lifeforce is proof of that!"

Gourry went a little pale. "You never said that that was what he did."

Lina gave him an exasperated look. "Why else is my hair white?" she demanded.

"Well, you're not young anymore."

Her foot caught him on the side of his head, toppling him over effectively.

Zelgadis decided to ignore this. "So what your saying is, what? We try and get him into a corner and weaken him?"

Lina shook her head. "No. We send him back."

"Send him...back?" Amelia wondered. "You've lost me completely now, Lina-san."

"He doesn't belong here," Lina explained. "Xellos knows that, and Valgaav did, too. Valgaav was doing what he did because he wanted to destroy our world, but Xellos..." her eyes went to the side, her mind lost in thought. "I don't think he wants Gorun Nova here to help him...I think...it's something different..."

When she trailed off and didn't continue, an awkward silence followed. It was Gourry who tentatively broke it, rubbing his head gingerly. "But if the seal is broken and the sword is here, how can we send him back at all?"

Lina gaped at him, feeling the blood drain from her face. There was that. Last time, they had had actual citizens of that world to take the weapons back with them. This time, they weren't so lucky.

"Ah, damn," Lina sighed, looking up into the sky. "I don't know."

Zelgadis and Amelia exchanged uncomfortable looks. "If you don't know, Lina-san, how can we know?" Amelia wondered.

Lina, despite herself, smiled. "You have minds! Think for yourselves!" she replied.

"The only option we have is to destroy him," Zelgadis said calmly. "It may be cold, but it's our only option. He doesn't seem to care too much about our world."

Lina nodded. Carefully, she reached into her breast pocket and pulled out the dented necklace. Its jewel was barely shining, but when she focused on it, the glittering granules responded to her, and shined more urgently. It was a pathetic shine, but it warmed her a little.

"I think we can make this work if we're smart about it," she said finally, tearing gaze away from the necklace. She looked down at Gourry, who was sitting close to her feet again. She smiled. "Gourry, did you happen to...?"

With a shy smile, he unhooked the empty sword and held it up. "Take the Sword of Light? Yep."

"Gourry-san, when did you...?" Amelia spluttered, completely thrown.

Gourry looked away, scratching his cheek. "When Lina was dragging me, I, uh, snatched it up. I just couldn't leave it behind."

Lina took it gently. Putting the necklace around her neck, she then took hold of the sword and pulled on the hilt. It came free, revealing an ordinary sword blade beneath. She grinned, her eyes shining. "I may have just figured it out," she whispered.

Everyone stared up at her. When she realised that their eyes were on her, she blinked. "Can't you guess?" she wondered. She held up the unsheathed sword, took an experimental swing, listening to the sound of the blade as it cut through the air. She grinned; it had made a slight clicking noise, which meant that the mechanisms keeping the blade in place were still intact. She sheathed it, then looked at Gourry.

Wordlessly, Gourry held up a small needle.

Carefully, Lina took the needle from his fingers, then shook her head, knelt down beside Gourry, and held both the sword and the needle to him. "You know how to do it best," she said, although the both of them knew the real reason: despite what anyone said, the sword was still, in their eyes, his.

Expertly, Gourry threaded the needle into the hilt. The light clicking noise sounded through the camp, and for the first time in a while, Lina felt a little bubble of excitement.

Carefully, Gourry unsheathed the hilt. The blade stayed within its sheath, and he held the light hilt with a sense of nostalgia. He sighed a little.

"It still works," Amelia said, scooting closer to the two and peering at the sword. "After all of the stuff it's been through, it still works!" Her eyes were wide with amazement.

Gourry, however, looked up at Lina, frowning. She nodded, acknowledging that she had felt it, too. With a sigh, she propped her chin in her hand, the other hand firmly holding the jewel of the necklace. She looked dejected.

"It's actually not the real one," she said blandly, the sudden excitement vanishing.

Needless to say, both Amelia and Zelgadis were shocked. Amelia shrieked, and Zelgadis nearly choked to death on his splutters of disbelief.

"What are you talking about, Lina-san?!" Amelia cried, her voice an impossibly high tone. "Gorun Nova came from this sword! The needle works! Everything is the same as it was!"

Lina nodded, looking sombre. "Exactly. It's not the real one."

Zelgadis's eye twitched. "You need to explain it," he said, his voice close to a growl.

Lina sighed, closing her eyes. "I know it sounds convoluted, but bear with me. I know it sounds like I'm pulling it out of my ass, but trust me. Gorun Nova is real; there's no doubting that. The light within the necklace is also real; the fact that I was able to use it like a sword is proof of that. But the sword itself? It's a fake."

Gourry nodded, holding the hilt up. "It feels the same, looks the same, even works the same, but it's not the same. It's a very clever fake, but it's fake."

"How do you know that?" Zelgadis wondered, looking sceptic. "If it looks like a duck--"

Lina opened her eyes and glowered at him. "If you finish that sentence, you're charbroiled."

Zelgadis looked scandalised, but Amelia jumped in. "Zelgadis-san has a point, you know!" she protested. "If all signs point to it being the Sword of Light, then it's the Sword of Light!"

"I said, be patient, will you?" Lina snapped. "So shut up and be patient!" She looked over at Gourry. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

He shook his head, closing his eyes. "Not all along, but yeah, mostly."

Lina sighed, then turned back to Amelia and Zelgadis. "It nagged me, you know? How careless Sirius had been, dropping the sword back on this world without much thought to it. After all of the trouble that he went getting it off the world, why would he bother doing that?"

Zelgadis opened his mouth, but Lina glared at him, and he shut it. "Which got me thinking that maybe it was a fake after all, especially since we couldn't even open it." She looked away from Zelgadis, to the side. "But then Gorun Nova showed up, and I thought, well, there goes that idea."

Gourry caught her eye, and she nodded. "That is," she continued, "until I unsheathed the sword. Last time I unsheathed the sword, when it was whole, it felt alive. But this time it was different. And I thought, it must be because Gorun Nova is out of it. But that's not it, either."

"What is it, then?" Amelia burst out, unable to contain herself.

Lina sighed again, deeply. "They kept the original to use for themselves. This one, this fake one, is designed to look like the old one to fool Gorun Nova himself. Somehow, they split the weapon, and trapped the Mazoku into a decoy." She smiled angrily. "And then they dumped it on this world."

"So then, there could be more of these things?" Zelgadis wondered, his eyes narrowed.

"There could be," Lina agreed. "But I don't think it will be a problem. This necklace..." she held it up, her face lit faintly by its glow. "It's definitely the light from the Sword of Light, and it's definitely the key needed to open it. But how did it get here?"

"That's simple," a cheerful voice called. "I pilfered it, and planted it."

Lina looked up slowly. From the other side of the fire, opposite everyone, was Xellos, looking as perky as ever.

Everyone but Lina tensed at the sight of him. "And why did you do that, Xellos?" she wondered, the smile still stuck on her face.

"To get you to find it, of course," he replied.

Gourry tensed suddenly, gritting his teeth. "You bastard," he murmured. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Xellos looked politely confused. "Of course it was, Gourry-san. I just admitted that."

"No," Gourry stood up slowly, his fists clenched. "It was you in the library. You ambushed Lina, in order to get her to go in the direction you needed, didn't you?"

Lina gaped at him, feeling a wave of anger and shock course through her. Of course, she thought, how stupid, how obvious!

Xellos scratched the back of his head. "Ah, you got me. It's true; I did ambush Lina-san in the library."

Gourry started forward, but Lina stopped him, putting a hand on his leg. She stood up slowly. "Why?" she asked softly. "You knew what would happen if you did. Was it to get me in the right direction?"

Xellos shook his head. "No; I was just bored."

"You--" Both Zelgadis and Gourry started forward, but it was Amelia that outran them, her fists alight with bright yellow. A second before impact, Xellos phased out and reappeared several feet away, high up in a tree.

"You have to admit it was a rather ingenious plan," Xellos called out mildly. "Using this world as a dumping ground and robbing us of the means to defend ourselves, should the trash they dump rise up. Their problems would be solved, immensely."

"And you were helping them," Zelgadis spat. "You were the one that freed Gorun Nova!"

Xellos nodded, looking unabashed. "Who, I'm surprised to say, isn't even here yet. After all of the trouble I went to bringing him here, he certainly isn't very cooperative."

Despite everything, Lina was interested now. "That's weird, considering how you and him seemed so buddy-buddy before."

Xellos nodded, leaning on the trunk of the tree. "You seem to always understand, Lina-san," he replied happily.

"Of course," Lina agreed, her teeth bared in a nasty grin. Everything was lining up for her now. "The real question is, why go to the trouble of bringing a Mazoku from another world to this one? Especially since you, according to Gorun Nova, seem to be handling things so well."

Xellos smiled back, matching her ferocity. "That's a secret, Lina-san."

"Or maybe," Lina went on, ignoring him. "Maybe Gorun Nova isn't keen on playing your games. Maybe he has other things on his mind. Or maybe, just maybe, you didn't bring him here as an ally. You brought him here as a--"

A burst of black-red magic rushed towards her in reply, one she easily stepped around. She had, after all, been expecting it. When it crashed into another tree behind her and fizzled out, her eyes met Xellos's, and she nodded. "I'm right, aren't I?" she said.

Xellos's eyes were open now, and they were furious. "You were always too smart for your own good. You know that, don't you, Lina-san?"

"I guess," Lina replied.

It was then that a sound caught their attention, coming from behind them. They turned, and a shadowing form was slowly coming towards them.

"Gorun Nova," Lina whispered, her hand tightening against the jewel of the necklace. "Gourry, the hilt; give it to me."

He did what she asked. She held it in one hand, pulling the necklace off and holding it out with the other. With a swallow, she started forward towards the shadowy figure.

"Lina-san!" Amelia protested, but Gourry held up a hand. "She knows what she's doing," he said quietly. "Trust her."

Not even Gourry looked happy saying this, but both Amelia and Zelgadis, grim-faced, agreed.

Xellos, from his perch in the tree, smiled.


	18. A Faint Hope, A Crushed Dream

Lina stood in front of her friends calmly, holding both hilt of the sword and necklace in the air, as if they were holy relics. Gorun Nova stopped a couple of feet in front of her, still mostly hidden in shadow. His eyes, however, glittered, and Lina soon felt the dark miasma of his bloodlust.

"Oh," Amelia murmured, "I really hope she knows what she's doing."

"She's not DEAF," Lina snapped at her without turning around, gritting her teeth.

Gorun Nova narrowed his eyes. "Cease your prattling and please," he held up a hand, a ball of black light sparking to life. "Be the first to die."

Lina opened her mouth, but words failed her. At least, until the orb was seconds from hitting her. It was then that her brain kicked in, and she threw out her arm and shouted, "Light, come forth!"

The blade that shot from the jewel was weak, and it shimmered in and out of existence, but it was there. Lina swung her arm downwards, slicing the magic right from the air.

"Well," Zelgadis said, his voice thick with awe. "That was something I wasn't expecting."

"She said something about being able to do that, but I thought it was just boasting," Amelia admitted.

Gourry, however, was smiling. "I couldn't have expected anything else," was his reaction.

Gorun Nova tilted his head to one side, and Lina held her hand out, pointing the small blade right at him. "It's nice you asked so politely," she said, her smile nothing but furious. "But I'm not the type of person to just roll over and die just because you're pissed off."

"That light is the reason that you have to die," Gorun Nova answered, both hands coming up in front of him this time.

Lina held up the hilt. "And this is the home that you have to return to," she said. "And I'm willing to bet on myself for this one."

"Your bets are unfounded," was the reply. This time, two orbs in succession were summoned from his hands, their size and power twice the amount as the last one.

Gourry swallowed hard. He knew that, when it came to these things, when Lina asked any of them to butt out, she meant it. She even had done the same for him in the past, when it meant proving something. But it was also very hard to watch her, especially now, walk head-on into that danger and not do anything to help her. It, quite frankly, scared him.

X X X

Amelia, however, had become distracted. During the exchange between Lina and Gorun Nova, she had, after delivering her somewhat scathing comment, wandered over to Xellos and stood underneath the tree. She looked up at him, looking as if she were pouting.

"You're keeping things from us again," she accused. "After all that we've been through, Xellos-san."

Xellos looked nonplussed, his eyes glued on the stand-off below him. "Lina-san figured it out," he answered. "Why can't you?"

Amelia decided to ignore this. She had her chin in her hand, looking thoughtful. "Your lack of justice hurts, but is also somewhat intriguing. It offers me a challenge."

"You do not want to start with me, Amelia-san."

The severity of his voice startled her. She looked up, right up at him, and only then noticed the intensity of his gaze. "Everything could be riding on this one little battle. Starting something with me is not something you want to do, if you value your life," he finished, his voice soft.

Amelia paled. "And yet," she answered, her voice thick with quiet anger. "You won't even feel the need to tell us what this is about."

"Lina-san knows," he answered. "That is all that matters."

"Why waste your time?" Zelgadis demanded suddenly, coming up to Amelia's side and pulling her away. "You know better than to think that that bastard will give anything."

Amelia sighed. "I just thought..." she shook her head slowly. "Nevermind."

A loud explosion and a shout from Lina brought their attention back to what was going on. Xellos could wait. The more urgent matter was right in front of them.

X X X

Gorun Nova was, needless to say, a badass.

Of all of the many Mazoku she had faced, including the higher-ups, Gorun Nova was certainly giving Lina a run for her money.

For starters, her choice of weaponry certainly wasn't making her odds better. If anything, holding onto the hilt while trying to use the necklace as a sword was hindering her balance and aim. But until she got an opening, she couldn't let the hilt go.

And with the way Gorun Nova was constantly throwing his own power at her, that opening was never going to show up.

The last blast of power singed her cheek a little, and she grunted, but shrugged it off. Gorun Nova stood a few feet away, the air around him thick with his bloodlust. Lina ground her teeth in frustration. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, at all. She NEEDED to get that opening. Otherwise, they would be fighting eachother forever, until one of them was spent.

And, considering how tired she was already, it would probably be Lina, herself, that would crack first.

Quickly, she chanted the words to a Burst Rondo as fast as she could. The necklace responded, glimmering to life, and when she summoned the spell into the blade, it came to life like it had before. The sight of the longer, brighter sword gave Lina hope. If she could just hit him enough to take him out just for a moment...

With a shout, she darted forward towards Gorun Nova, swinging the makeshift sword with the full brunt of her strength. Gorun Nova watched her come towards him with those blank eyes, but didn't move. It was only when her blade was seconds from slicing into his arm that she understood why.

It was like she saw it in slow motion. One moment, she was dashing forward, ready to take him, or at least a bit of him, out. But then, she watched him bring up a hand, and watched him open that hand and catch the blade, as if it were nothing more than a ball.

She felt the grab deep within her body. The sword, after all, was a construct of her will. It was tight, and it hurt, but she pushed against his hand, trying to either free the blade or injure him. She watched the blade of the sword glimmer in and out with dismay. It wasn't working. She wasn't going to have that chance.

"Your anger and frustration," Gorun Nova said suddenly, startling her. "The amount you have is so intense that even humans could probably feel it. And yet, I still sense a great strength within you."

Lina smiled, her teeth bared. "I'm glad you approve," she said, her eyes narrowed. "Can you let go, now?"

"Of course not," he answered. "To give you another chance...you think I don't know what you plan to do?"

In response, Lina's other hand tightened on the empty hilt, and for the first time, she saw a flicker in the Mazoku's eyes. "Yes, exactly," he hissed, his voice suddenly deadly. It chilled her. "You honestly think that I would willingly allow you to imprison me once more? After I have attained my freedom?"

Lina, despite herself, managed to shrug. "It's always worth a shot, isn't it?"

"We should do something," Amelia whispered, watching the grim scene with wide eyes. "We have to do something."

Zelgadis shook his head. "What can we do without becoming liabilities?" he answered, a tad coldly. "If she has a plan, we can't interfere."

Gourry, who had been quiet the whole time, couldn't help but silently agree, but with Amelia. Watching Lina fight for her life, plan or not, alone, was not something he was used to doing. It wasn't a game. He was struggling, very hard, not to just jump in and start pounding on Gorun Nova's face.

The blade was flickering harder now. The grip on it was affecting Lina's concentration, and as a result, was becoming weaker with every second that it passed in Gorun Nova's grip. In a flurry of sudden panic, she yanked back on it, trying to dislodge it. The look in Gorun Nova's eyes when she did that chilled her; it was expectant, waiting. What was he waiting for? Why wasn't he attacking?

"Damn," Xellos murmured from the tree. "He may be onto us."

Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis looked up at him. Within seconds of doing so, both Amelia and Zelgadis winced. The bloodlust in the air was unbearable, and it was coming from Xellos.

Lina wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but she was tired of waiting for it. With jerky but quick movements, she brought her other hand up quickly, trying to shift the imprisoned blade towards it.

Gorun Nova's eyes glittered, and Lina's heart stopped. Within seconds, he had her wrist holding the hilt in his grip, halting her attempt. She pulled, trying to free either hand, even going so far as to move her body away from him and using the ground as leverage, but he held fast.

Gourry's eyes widened. His hand went to his hip, only to find nothing but empty air. He didn't have a sword. He didn't have magic. He only had his fists. But if he didn't do something, anything, soon, he would have to watch... he would have to just stand there and watch...

He started forward, ignoring the cries of protest.

"The humans of this world are helpless," Gorun Nova said calmly. His eyes, however, weren't on Lina's, but were fixed above her, where Xellos was perched. "To use them to send a message is rather foolish. The ones on my world are at least formidable."

Lina growled, shutting her eyes and concentrating, muttering at high speed under her breath. It was one thing to be caught, but another to be spoken around and insulted at the same time. With a shout of the Chaos Words, her Elmekia Lance launched from the blade of the necklace and smashed into Gorun Nova's chest. He stumbled, his grip going slack, and she pulled herself free, staggering backwards away from him.

She bumped into Gourry, who had been coming up behind her. Blinking, she looked up at him, then grinned. "You're butting in," she chided.

"You're being careless," was his reply.

"Watch me," she winked. With her eyes closed, she took a step away from Gourry and held up her hands, the necklace and hilt still in her possession. It was the only chance she had.

As her concentration grew, so did the brightness of the jewel, and the length of the blade. As it did, Lina moved the empty hilt closer, like she was using it to sheath the blade into it. It was hard going; despite it being a very clever replica, it was only a replica, and not used to taking on that amount of light. Her arms shook, and she felt the sweat trickle from her brow, but she kept at it, knowing that her Elmekia Lance would not keep Gorun Nova immobile for long.

Gourry watched it happen. The jewel floated up from Lina's hand and burst into bright white light, like a star. It seemed to shatter into thousands of particles, and, as if caught in a draft, those particles drifted towards and into the hilt in her other hand.

It was only when she felt that one hand was empty that she opened her eyes in shock. She looked at her hand, and saw that the necklace was gone. She looked at the hilt, and saw that it was alight, shining a bright white from within. She grinned. "Yes," she whispered.

"Lina-san!" Amelia suddenly shrieked from behind her. "Move to the left!"

Lina gaped, then did what she was told, but a second too late. That second saved her life, but it had its price. She felt the rush of power a second later, and then something, what felt like a punch, slammed into her shoulder and knocked her back. She heard herself gasp, and felt the hilt fall from her hand, but she didn't fall. Gourry grabbed her from behind.

Lina opened her mouth to say something, but her words were cut off by the sudden onslaught of pain that crashed into her. She groaned, putting a hand to her shoulder, feeling her knees give out on her.

Gourry grabbed her quickly, trying to keep her on her feet. She staggered, heavy and limp in his grip, and he knew then that if she couldn't stand, she couldn't fight. He soon felt something hot and wet seep from her shoulder on his arm, and felt a wave of panic crash into him. She was bleeding.

Gorun Nova stood in front of them, his hand out, his eyes finally showing that rage that had laid dormant for so long. "The next shot will be through her heart," he said, his voice still in monotone, but with an edge to it.

Gourry, a little roughly, grabbed Lina up in his arms and dragged her backwards. He felt her grab onto his chest, her fingers digging in, but he took comfort in that. As he moved back, Amelia and Zelgadis moved forward, their hands out and ready.

"Ra Tilt!" they both shouted.

The blast of white-blue flames crashed into the Mazoku and engulfed him. Xellos, from his tree, tensed, his eyes wide. They were full of the usual malvolence, and something else...something that looked like triumph.


	19. Heartstrings

Gourry had managed to bring Lina back the original site of the camp. He lay her down and grabbed a couple of blankets, then ripped one up and started making bandages.

"Gourry," Lina said thickly, startling him. He looked over. She lay motionless, her hand on her shoulder, her eyes dim. "Idiot. The sword. Get the sword and use the light."

Gourry stared at her, almost not understanding. "What are you saying?" he demanded.

Lina sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. It hurt, and she was weakening, but she had to get her point across, or everything would have been a waste. "The sword. You know it best. Use it."

"And leave you behind?" Gourry shot back.

"Yes," she said coldly, her eyes flashing. "Leave me behind, idiot."

Gourry stared down at her, and she glared back, her breathing laboured, but her face set in determination. Without control, he felt his lip tremble, and he reached down, taking her face in his hands. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "I'm not dying, moron," she chided gently. "I'll be fine."

He pressed his forehead against hers, shutting his eyes. She did the same, and for a moment, they stayed that way. It was a second, but it was also an eternity.

Finally, Gourry nodded. He hurriedly used one of the makeshift bandages and wrapped it around her shoulder as best he could. She growled, the gesture sending pain deep into her body, but she was grateful.

"Go," she said finally. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Gourry nodded, shutting his eyes. He got to his feet, gave her one final look, and ran back. Lina watched him go with dark eyes, her fingers soaked with her own blood.

She hoped, truly hoped, it would be enough. Because if it wasn't, that was it; they were dead.

She closed her eyes, dropped her hand from her shoulder, and drifted, until she couldn't feel anything at all. It was a relief.

X X X

The twin Ra Tilts illuminated the entire site, making it seem as bright as day. Everyone watched with bated breath, waiting, hoping...

With a sudden rush of air, the light vanished, and Gorun Nova was nowhere to be seen. Amelia swallowed, her eyes wide. "He's gone," she whispered.

Zelgadis nodded, but kept alert. "It certainly looks that way, doesn't it?"

Gourry caught up with them, reaching down and scooping up the shining hilt from the ground. Amelia and Zelgadis turned to him, and saw that he looked pale and grim. Amelia gaped at him, seeing the blood on his shirt. "Lina-san, is she--?" she whispered.

Gourry blinked. "No, of course not!" he cried. "But she could use your help."

Amelia nodded, running back towards the campsite without another word. Zelgadis looked at Gourry closely, noticing the droop in his stance and the frown on his face. "It's pretty close, though, isn't it?"

Gourry laughed humourlessly. "She's so funny, isn't she?" he said, his voice thick. "She tries to make it seem like nothing, but I'm not that much of an idiot. I know."

Zelgadis placed a hand on his shoulder. "She just wants to protect you," he said softly.

Gourry gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes, but he nodded. "Amelia knows what she's doing," Zelgadis continued. Gourry nodded again, then looked up slowly. "Where's our friend?" he wondered.

Zelgadis pulled his hand away. "Either hiding, or dead. He vanished."

Xellos suddenly phased in beside them, forcing both men to jump backwards. "He's not dead," he answered, his voice, while not calm, was certainly more chipper than it should have been. "While powerful, your two Ra Tilts weren't enough. I can still feel him alive."

Gourry glared at him, and Zelgadis's hand was already on his sword. "You should be the one to deal with this," Gourry snapped. "He's you friend, and yet all you do is just stand there!"

"My friend?" Xellos echoed. "Certainly not. Both he and I know that. I certainly have no intentions of helping him."

Zelgadis's eye twitched. "Then help us," he said logically.

Xellos wagged a finger at him. "I can't do that either, Zelgadis-san!" he chided. "No, no, this has to be between you and him."

Zelgadis's sword was instantly at his throat, the blade a bright red. "Start explaining," he said calmly.

Xellos paled. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't," he stammered. "Otherwise, Juuo-sama will have my head."

"I don't see a problem with that," Gourry said casually.

Xellos stared at him in disbelief. "You still can't be mad at me for hurting Lina-san, are you? I had a reason."

Gourry's eyes flashed. "Life is wonderful," was his answer. Xellos went as white as a sheet, staggering a little.

Zelgadis sighed, pulling his sword away. With a grimace, he said softly, "Life is amazing."

Xellos made a choking noise and backed away, clutching at his throat. "You are both cruel, cruel men!" he snapped.

"And you're not a man," Gourry answered. "Go away if you're going to be useless."

Xellos pouted. "That hurt, and was rude, Gourry-san."

"And yet so, so true."

Zelgadis tensed suddenly, then shouted out and held up a hand. Xellos's eyes opened, and he threw up his staff. From both of them came a flash of light, and a barrier appeared over the three of them. It was just in time, as an onslaught of black streaks showered upon the shield from above.

Zelgadis gritted his teeth. "He's starting to use his real power now," he gasped out.

Gourry tensed, looking down at the hilt in his hand. When he did, it seemed to grow warmer in his grasp. He thought of Lina, of her hurt smile, or her angry words, and he swallowed.

"Drop the shield," he said softly.

Both Xellos and Zelgadis stared at him. "Drop it!" he snapped. He held out the hilt, focused, and shouted out, "Light, come forth!"

The blade that came from the hilt was unlike any that Lina had summoned up before. This one was complete; it shone like a star, bright and complete, responding to even a miniscule thought from him.

Zelgadis quickly jumped back, dropped his hand as he did so. Xellos hesitated, then lowered his staff. The shower would have been upon them, except Gourry wouldn't allow it.

_"Picture your thoughts like they're waves,"_ Lina's voice whispered in his mind. _"Just keep pushing them out, further and further..."_

With a shout, he did so, forcing every fibre of his will into the blade. It burst into a cacophony of light, jagged and untamed, and he swung it, not only cutting through the black, but parrying it backwards, towards its source.

X X X

Amelia, meanwhile, was kneeling beside Lina, who was deep into unconsciousness when she had reached her. Already the bandage was soaked through, as was her arm and part of the ground.

The bleeding, Amelia saw, just would not stop. The only way to stop it would be to either cauterize the wound, or knit the skin together with magic quickly. The first option made her feel sick, so she opted for the second, hoping it would be enough.

Gently, Amelia felt Lina's pulse, which was sluggish but still beating steadily. She tapped on the older girl's cheek, soft at first, then hard, but didn't even get a moan out of her. Amelia swallowed, then got to work.

She first unwound the bandage, which instantly got her hands soaked in blood. With a wince, she placed her hands upon the wound, feeling the burnt skin and open wound that the magic had created. Closing her eyes, she pictured her magic not only easing the pain of the wound, but knitting it closed, cleaning out any infection and dead cells that were within.

The campsite became lit by her white magic as she worked. Dimly, she hoped that Recovery would be enough. She never learned Resurrection from Sylphiel, although, she vowed, after this day, she would. Even if she never had to use it, she would learn it.

It was only when a few minutes had passed that Amelia felt a faint reaction from Lina beneath her hands. She heard her hiss in pain, and shift a little against Amelia's touch, but that was all. When Amelia looked closer, she saw that as a defence mechanism, Lina had gone back under.

Dimly, she heard the blasts of a battle, and felt a sudden longing to be there, beside Zelgadis, feeling the rush of adrenaline through her veins. But, she sighed, she knew that sometimes, true Justice was done on the sidelines.

And, she thought with a wistful smile, looking at Lina. There was no Justice in leaving a friend hurt.

X X X

Gourry stood, feeling the familiar-yet-alien hilt held between his hands, his stance one that spoke of a need to fight. The blade of light shone brightly, almost blinding him with its intensity. After the first wave of magic had been pushed back and faded, there had been nothing but silence.

Still, Gourry stood poised, his heart racing, half of him already back at Lina's side, the other half eager to turn Gorun Nova into dust.

"Where is he?" he heard Zelgadis ask Xellos sternly. He didn't turn around to look at them. Instead, he closed his eyes, reaching out, picturing waves...

Xellos smiled. "Who knows?" he said. Zelgadis reached out to grab him, but he phased out. "I've already done too much for you. The rest is up to you!" his voice called out.

"Bastard," Zelgadis spat. He held up his sword again. "Astral Vine," he whispered, summoning the sword's power. It flickered red and bright, and he grinned. Even he wasn't impervious to the thrill of a good fight.

He moved closer to Gourry, standing back-to-back. The newly lit Sword of Light was bright, but it darted back and forth, as if being dragged in different directions. Zelgadis watched from the corner of his eye, fascinated by the dance of the light.

For a moment, the two men stood like that, silent, listening, waiting. It seemed to go on endlessly, and yet, not at all, for it was only a few minutes later when Gourry suddenly tensed and shouted out, "He's coming from the right!"

Zelgadis whirled in that direction, Gourry shortly following. At that second, a burst of black light exploded out from nowhere, crashing right towards them. Zelgadis held up his sword to deflect it, but Gourry jumped in front of him, swinging his sword down with a shout and bisecting the blast in two. It vanished.

A moment later, Gorun Nova appeared, rushing at Gourry. Gourry shouted out and swung his sword, but Gorun Nova side-stepped it, holding a hand out and firing another blast. Gourry jumped to the side, but felt a sting as the hit grazed his arm.

Apparently he wasn't done. The Mazoku turned on his heel and brought another hand forward, the fingers clawed and aimed for Gourry's face. Gourry reached up and blocked it with his own hand. The skin-on-skin-equivilent contact was like blocking a dagger, and Gourry yelped, yanking his hand back quickly.

Gorun Nova turned and swung his other hand forward, a hit that would have sucessfully landed on Gourry's shoulder, if Zelgadis hadn't jumped in and took a swing of his own at Gorun Nova. The Mazoku jumped back for a moment, his eyes blazing.

"Be it you or the girl," he said, his voice dripping with fury, "whoever holds that light must die."

Gourry felt a wave of anger crash into him. "You may have already killed her!" he shouted, his voice breaking. Gorun Nova looked at him dispassionately. "Then my goal is halfway complete."

"You bastard!" Gourry shouted, unable to restrain his emotion. He came forward with a shout, and the sword burst into twice its size.

"Elmekia Flame!" Zelgadis suddenly called. A blast of Astral magic came forward and crashed into the blade, tinting it with the colour of its magic. Gourry, without hesitating, swung it at Gorun Nova, and felt a sick wave of glee as the sword met flesh. He thrust forward harder, and with a grating sound, felt whatever he had hit give away.

Gorun Nova uttered a grunt and staggered back, one hand going to the severed stump of his arm. He looked at Gourry with a mix of fury and surprise. It was the first time that he had shown a real emotion, and for some reason, it gave Gourry a deep comfort.

"Give up," Gourry said quietly. "You don't belong on this world. Surrender, and you'll be able to live."

Gorun Nova narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. He lowered his hand from his shoulder, then held it up, aiming it, palm-out, at Gourry. An orb of black light staggered to life.

Zelgadis stood at Gourry's side, his sword sheathed. He was muttering under his breath, and Gourry could see him making elaborate hand gestures, ones that signaled the summoning of an immense spell.

Gorun Nova noticed, and at the last second, shifted his hand and aimed it at the chimera. Gourry darted over, hoping to be able to cut it in half like he had last time, but acted a split second too late.

The shot hit both he and Zelgadis and sent them down. Zelgadis got the brunt of the hit and, upon landing, blacked out. Gourry landed hard several feet away, the sword falling from his grip. The light shuddered, then went out.

Gourry groaned, trying to get to his feet. The hit was a strong one, and it hurt. He just couldn't seem to make his body work and, from the feel of his empty hand, he was now defenceless.

With deliberately slow movements, Gorun Nova walked over to the dropped sword, picking it up carefully. He hissed, feeling pain from contact with it, but grinned, the expression nothing but malvolent. With a rush of power, he crushed the hilt, shattering it into pieces. The light burst out brightly, burning his hand, but then went out.

Gourry felt his heart in his throat, his eyes wide, feeling panic rush through his body. That was it, he thought, that was our last chance. We're dead now.

Gorun Nova seemed to think the same thing. His gaze ticked over to Gourry's, and the swordsman bit his lip hard against the feeling. It was like feeling needles stuck in his eyes, but he couldn't look away. But, he would be damned if he cried out.

"I have to admit," Gorun Nova said, his voice cold once more. "While you humans are weaker, you still have the same passion and naivity that the ones on my world share. It's tiring, but the end is always the same." His eyes glittered, and Gourry winced, the pain increasing. "Your end."

From a few feet away, Zelgadis held up a hand and threw a weakened Elmekia Lance in Gorun Nova's direction, a desperate move. The Mazoku easily deflected it.

"Too bad for you," he said finally, holding up his hand and summoning up a last blast to finish them. "But all too good for me."

However, his words proved incorrect. Just as suddenly as the power was summoned, it died. Gorun Nova staggered, his hand clenching into a fist. There was a flash of black light, and protruding from his chest was a huge cone. Black blood blossomed from the wound.

"I'm afraid that can't be possible," Xellos's voice said calmly. He materialised behind Gorun Nova, obviously the source of the attack. "You see, as you probably guessed, we brought you here for one reason, and one reason alone: to die."

Gorun Nova glowered at him, and he went on. "You see, your masters and their counterparts have been rather rude, lately, leaving their trash lying about our world in order to save their own hides. They simply can't do this, Gorun Nova-san, and with your death, we intend to make that clear."

Gorun Nova was starting to fade, his coporeal body already retreating to the Astral Plane, but Xellos shook his head. His eyes glittered, and he grinned. "Of course, you won't be able to return to deliver our message," he said. "But it's clear. Leave this world alone. It's ours, not yours."

Xellos narrowed his eyes. The cone exploded outwards, taking both itself and the fading body of Gorun Nova with it. The Mazoku uttered only one shout before being destroyed, on both sides.

Gourry watched it all from the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief. As the last traces faded, Xellos stood calmly, his eyes open wide. When they fell on Gourry, he swallowed hard, feeling a new kind of fear.

"Now do you understand?" he said softly.


	20. Unwanted Truth

Amelia had been keeping watch, her nerves on edge, listening to every crash and bang, when a shaky, gravely voice dragged her out of her reverie.

"Amelia."

She turned quickly, and saw that Lina's eyes were half-open, the colour dimmed. She shifted a little, and her face went tight with pain. Amelia gently held her down. "Lina-san, don't move."

Lina sighed, closing her eyes and obeying. She felt horrible, but still couldn't find the strength to move. "Gourry," she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"Fighting," Amelia answered gently. "They've been fighting for a while now."

Lina swallowed, struggling to stay composed. "I need you to do me a favour," she said, her voice thick. Amelia leaned in closer, and she went on. "I need to you go."

Amelia shook her head, her eyes flashing. "I can't."

Lina opened her eyes, the colour sparking to life a little. "You can, and have to," she snapped.

"I can't, and don't," Amelia shot back. "You're still weak. I healed you as best as I could, but the hit was a bad one. You need to rest."

Lina said a very, very gutteral word, and Amelia went pink, but stayed her ground. "You have a filthy mouth," was her response.

Lina sighed again, her hands going to her face. She uttered a small, pathetic cry, and instantly Amelia felt bad. She edged closer and gently placed a hand on Lina's forehead, pushing her hands away. Lina looked up, her eyes full.

Amelia opened her mouth to say something, anything, that would make it better, but no words came to her. She looked at Lina, who looked back, and found that she couldn't say a word. Instead, she kept her hand gently on the other girl's forehead. It was enough.

X X X

Gourry carefully pushed himself up, brushing hair from his eyes. He was still in shock from what he had seen, and was having a hard time following.

Zelgadis, however, had staggered to his feet, and had his sword out and activated in a minute. "We understand," he snapped. "We understand that, again, you were using us for your own gains! And almost at the cost of our lives!"

Xellos looked bored. "I stepped in when I could, didn't I?"

The tip of the sword met his throat. "Tell me why I shouldn't drive this into your lying neck, Mazoku," Zelgadis hissed, his voice full of rage.

"Oh, I didn't lie, Zelgadis-san," was the answer. "I merely withheld a few things."

Zelgadis smiled. "Not exactly helping your case, is it?"

Xellos looked dubious. "Probably not, no."

Gourry shook his head. "Listen," he said, breaking up the banter. "Obviously this has an explanation, but now is not the right time to hear it. We have to get back...to Lina." His voice caught a little, but he shook his head again, slowly getting to his feet. His leg hurt, as did the arm that got hit, but he knew he would be fine.

"I suppose this would be better to only explain once," Xellos agreed. "So for the moment..." He phased out.

Zelgadis sighed and sheathed his sword, looking annoyed. He walked over to Gourry. "Can you make it on your own?" When he nodded, together, they slowly made their way back.

X X X

Needless to say, the sight of the two of them was a sore one indeed. Lina yelped, in both surprise and pain, and she reached out towards Gourry, who swooped down and grabbed her in his arms. She winced, the gesture sending a stab of pain into her shoulder, but she clung to him tightly, burying her face into his chest. She could smell some blood, and felt his arms shake a little, but he was in one piece, and for the moment, was the only one on the world for her.

Amelia lept up and crashed into Zelgadis, sending him onto the ground. There was a mumble from him, but he blinked, turning red. She was also red, but she grinned, keeping him pinned. "You made it, Zelgadis-san," she said.

Zelgadis said and did something completely out of the blue. With gentle fingers, he brushed the bangs out of her eyes. "I think you can just call me Zelgadis, now," he said softly.

Amelia bit her lip, then crushed herself to him. His breath whooshed out in protest, but he hugged back.

There was a brief silence, broken only when Lina pulled away from Gourry and said, "Did you win?"

She was sitting up, leaning against Gourry, rubbing her shoulder slowly, but her eyes danced, and she was grinning.

Amelia pulled herself away from Zelgadis, who also sat up, looking embarrassed. "Well, sort of," he admitted.

Amelia blinked. "Sort of?" she echoed.

"It's hard to explain," Gourry admitted.

Xellos phased in suddenly, looking a little sick. Lina laughed at the sight of this. Obviously, their happiness was affecting him. "I can explain that," he said anyway, shooting a sulky look to Lina.

Lina stopped laughing, but kept smiling. The smile was not a happy one.

Xellos briefly explained the fight, then went into the real explanation. "Basically, Juuo-sama had caught wind of this little scheme about a year ago. The gods of the other world had successfully driven the henchmen of Dark Star into seals. One would think that doing this would enough, right?"

Lina nodded slowly. "But it wasn't. They planted them here, to keep them even safer on their own world."

Xellos's eyes opened slowly. "You can imagine our reaction," he agreed. "The nerve of them, first driving Dark Star to our world to destroy it, then later dumping its pieces all over the place. Sealed or not, it was an insult."

Lina sighed, rubbing her forehead. "So you stole their source of light, planted it here for me to find, and went about making it so that one of the henchmen would be brought to life here."

Xellos nodded. "Yes."

"Why?" Lina asked.

"You already know that answer."

"But we don't," Amelia answered. "So explain it."

Xellos held up his hands. "Alright, alright. We summoned him here in order to send a message to the gods of the other world: This world is our world. Only we have the right to destroy it. Back off."

"And the only way to properly send that message was to prove that we could kill beings, Mazoku or not, from their world here on ours," Lina finished.

"Exactly," Xellos agreed.

"But we couldn't kill him. You did that."

Xellos shrugged. "A message sent is still a message sent."

"Then why didn't you do that to start?!" Gourry demanded.

"It's a louder message when the lowest lifeforms on the planet are the ones to send it," Xellos replied cheerfully.

There was a brief, shocked silence.

"Xellos," Lina said softly, her voice hard. "Don't ever come back."

Everyone, including Xellos, turned and looked at her in surprise. Her eyes were dark, but clear. "You've played with us far too many times," she continued. "You've made us into unwilling pawns in your pissing contests, thrust us into fights that have nothing to do with us." Carefully, she ran a hand through her hair, the gesture louder than her words. "Go find someone else to torture, Xellos."

Xellos stared at her. Surprisingly, his face was perfectly blank, a perfect mask of apathy. "You want me to...?"

"Stay out of our lives. For good. No matter what." Lina raised her head, almost proudly, despite her condition. "You've done enough."

Wordlessly, Xellos turned his back to her. Within a second, he phased out, and was gone.

A silence met his departure.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Zelgadis finally asked.

"Like he ever listens to me anyways," Lina answered, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. "If he actually does, then hell has frozen over."

Amelia frowned. "But what if--"

"Nope," Lina replied, lying back down and turning away from her. "No. No what ifs. That's it, that's all." She pulled a few blankets over herself and snuggled into their warmth.

"Lina," Gourry poked her head lightly, bringing a growl up from her. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping," was the muffled reply. "It's nighttime. Go away!" She pulled the blankets over her head.

Gourry smiled, placing a hand on her back through the blankets. "If you're sore, just say so. We can leave you alone."

Lina's fist shot out and clipped him on the jaw. He teetered backwards and lay beside her, dazed. She grumbled and buried herself deeper, annoyed, because he had been right.

Zelgadis sighed. "It is late, and probably the first night we've had in a long time that's peaceful."

Amelia stretched slowly. "I can't believe it. Just like that, and it's over."

Both chimera and princess looked over to the two sharing the fire. Lina's hair stuck out from a gap in the blankets, and Gourry, who had snuggled up close to her after coming to, was playing with it idly. After a few moments of this, Lina growled, lifting up the blanket. Gourry snuggled under and held her close, and she muttered incoherently, but didn't pull away.

Amelia smiled. "And some things are just beginning," she whispered. She looked up and into Zelgadis's eyes, and he smiled.


	21. Epilogue: Tied Knots

"Moral of the story? Never do anything, ever."

This was Lina's final declaration at the breakfast table in the morning. When they had awoken, everyone was sore and too tired to cook, so they packed up and hoofed it to the nearest town. They had been in an eating trance for a good twenty minutes before Lina had spoken up.

Zelgadis looked at her in disbelief. "Like you could ever follow that," he said.

Lina glowered at him, then shrugged. "Yeah, probably not."

"Your attention span is too small," Gourry piped in helpfully.

Amelia leaned to the side so that Lina's questing hand could grab a chunk Gourry's hair to pull. "If it's all the same, I should probably be heading back home. Things get hectic if Daddy is without support for too long."

Zelgadis propped his chin on his hand, his eyes looking to the side. "Ah, home, your home," he agreed, his cheeks pink.

Amelia smiled at him. "You know, Zelgadis-san, we have alot of different libraries at Seyruun. I'm sure you haven't gone through them all. You could look for your cure there."

Zelgadis blinked a little. "Libraries?" he echoed, not quite sure where she was going.

"So, ah," Amelia shifted a little, mostly so that Lina's elbow wouldn't dig into her back anymore. "So you could come with me, when I go home."

Zelgadis blinked again, his hand falling from his chin. He stared, then smiled. "I thought I told you to just call me Zelgadis," was his answer.

Amelia brightened, her face beaming with happiness. "You're right, you did," she agreed, "Zelgadis."

"ANYWAY," Lina said loudly, shoving Gourry to the ground in a final heave before sitting back at the table. "I'm getting tired of all of this non-stop action crap lately. I never seem to get a break, even when it LOOKS like a break."

Gourry wheezed from the floor. "You broke your arm. Wasn't that a real break?"

Both Amelia and Zelgadis sighed in unison as the second wrestling match continued. "I hope we don't get thrown out," Amelia said mournfully.

X X X

Needless to say, Lina's real point wasn't made until later. It was well after both Amelia and Zelgadis, amidst teasing, left for Seyruun together. Lina watched, grinning, as a short distance away, Amelia reached out and grabbed Zelgadis's hand and held it tight.

"They sure look happy, don't they?" Gourry observed.

Lina nodded. "Happy, yes, but a sad story. You know that Zel won't settle until he's cured. Amelia will be waiting a long, long time."

Gourry looked a little sad. "I wish things were easier."

Lina smiled. "That's putting it mildly!" she agreed. Together, they sat side-by-side, watching their two friends walk off until they were too small to make out. Once they were gone, Lina lay back onto the grass and sighed, threading her fingers into the strands of grass beneath her.

"So what did you mean, Lina?" Gourry wondered, peering down at her.

Lina opened her eyes. "About what?" she wondered.

"Before, you said that you were tired of walking into trouble," Gourry elaborated. His eyes bored into hers. "What did you mean?"

Lina blinked at him, confused. "What do you think? I'm tired of being used by Mazoku."

"Oh," Gourry said, his voice quiet. He dropped his eyes from hers and lay back beside her, becoming very quiet.

Now Lina was very confused. "What did you think I meant?"

Gourry didn't say anything, so she pressed him. "What did you think I meant? I haven't forgotten about your sword, if that's what you're worried about."

Gourry sighed, sounding exasperated. "Okay, okay," he said. "Drop it."

Lina sat up, leaning over him. "No," she said sternly. "What did you mean? Aren't you tired of being chased down all the time, fighting for your life? I'm so sick of Mazoku games I could scream!"

Gourry bit his lip, then reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. She smiled. "What?" she said softly. "You look so serious now."

"I am serious sometimes!" he protested. "I just thought...you meant, before, that you were ready to..."

Lina tilted her head to one side. "Ready to...?"

"Uh," Gourry reddened. "Settle down."

Lina stared, speechless, her own face turning red. "Uh, oh," she said, stammering. "Y-you mean, you know..."

Gourry nodded. "Uh huh."

"But we're...pretty young," Lina said uneasily. "We still have the world to explore..."

Gourry smiled, feeling a little sinking feeling in his gut and trying to hide it. "It's okay, Lina," he said. "Don't worry about it."

"No, shut up!" she snapped. "I'm nineteen, and you're..." she paused. "What, at least twenty-three?"

Gourry seemed to think about it for a moment. "That sounds about right," he agreed.

Lina collapsed onto his chest in exasperation. Gourry, as a result, laughed a little. "I don't really think about it, to be honest."

Lina sat up. "You don't think about your AGE?!" she started to explode, then she shook her head. "No, no, no! We're not going off-topic. Shut up!"

Gourry looked wounded, but he obeyed. He waited patiently, watching Lina think, enjoying the simple process of it. First she would bite her lip, then shut her eyes and grit her teeth, then rub her forehead and growl, and then start over again. It was cute, and amusing.

On the third cycle, she finally came up with something. "Okay, listen," she said, her voice suddenly soft. She looked right into his eyes, and he saw with surprise that they were wavering. "When I said it, yes, that's what I meant, okay?"

Gourry felt his heart ache, but he let her finish. "If I were to settle down," she continued, her eyes looking away from him. "It would definitely be with you. No questions asked. In fact...in fact..." Her eyes slowly moved to his, and they wavered. "I would love to, Gourry. That much should be obvious."

"But..." Gourry murmured. Lina sighed. "But," she agreed. "This may sound old-fashioned, but I think I want to visit home, first."

Gourry stared, confused. That wasn't what he had expected her to say. "Visit...home?" he echoed.

Lina went pink. "Yes. I haven't been home in six years. I think I should at least check in and introduce you before I slap on a veil and drag you down an aisle, don't you think?"

Gourry had to laugh at the imagery that brought up. He looked up at her, and she smiled, touched by the sudden vulnerability that was clearly evident in his eyes. It made him look so much younger. "So, you really want to...?"

Lina smiled, reaching down and ruffling his bangs. "Yes, I really want to! Ciephied, you are such a moron!"

Gourry pouted. "I'm just making sure!" he protested.

"Yes yes. If you can wait a bit longer..." Lina looked a little wary, but his flurry of nodding made her laugh again. "Then yes, of course we will, when the time is right."

Gourry grinned. Lina looked up at the sky, feigning disinterest. "Besides, it probably is about time. It's been a long time. If we don't get married soon, we'll just get bored."

"You can't really mean that!"

Lina stuck out her tongue, and he grabbed it. She grabbed his cheek and yanked, and Gourry retaliated by poking a finger up her nose. She shrieked, and he lost his grip on her tongue, but the fight was on.

And would always be on, as long as they could help it.

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**Writer's Conclusion:** So that's it. Three and a half years and that's what it has come to. Reading over the series, I've noticed a couple of embarrassing plotholes...which I will fix! I'm actually surprised that there wasn't more *embarrassed look*

Thanks to everyone who not only read this to the end, but who took the time out of their busy days to comment and cheer me on. It was greatly appreciated. --Omoni


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